Two of a Kind
by RomanceGirlXXTsundereLuverxxX
Summary: Following the events of the Kage Summit, Sakura is sent on a lone, simple mission. However the misson goes terribly wrong. She finds herself in Konoha, 26 years earlier. With the company of an energetic yet infuriating red-head, could things possibly be worse? Pairings: MinaKushi, NaruSaku. Time-travel fic. Slightly AU. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1: Departure

**Two of a Kind**

**Full Summary:**Naruto departs on training to the Turtle Island, unaware that the Fourth Shinobi World War is just on the horizion. Meanwhile, Sakura is forced to come to terms with her failure of eliminating Sasuke and shouldering her team's burdans on her own. Throughout all this turmoil, Sakura is requested to go on a C-rank misson by order of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. Seems easy enough for her. Until an ambush by an unknown assaliant leaves Sakura unconscious. Wounded but not dead, she awakens in Konoha though soon finds out this is not the Konoha she's used to. Unbeknownst to her, she befriends Naruto's deceased parents, Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, 26 years earlier. With their aide, will Sakura find her way back to her current timeline?

**Main Pairings:** Mostly MinaKushi, due to the fact most of this story takes place in the past. However NaruSaku is implied frequently and will be seen more of as the story goes farther along. If you don't like the pairings, don't read. I won't listen to complaints about the pairing choice, alright?

**Timeline: **Obviously takes place after the Kage Summit but before the war actually starts. Anime-wise, I guess you can say this happens in the_ Adventures at Sea _filler arc :P

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Naruto. If I did NaruSaku would be canon by now, Sasuke wouldn't have turned evil, and Naruto's parents would still be alive. This is purely for entertainment purposes.

** A/N: **I just thought of this due to my desire to see Sakura/Kushina interaction. That's not the entire reason for this story but I thought it was fun to imagine this :). No flames and bashing please. This is my first fanfic so go easy on me.

**Constructive critizism is welcome :).**

* * *

Chapter 1

Sakura watched as the ship was getting ready to set sail, it's white sails ruffling in the breeze. She could see Naruto's bright blonde hair standing out, a sharp contrast from the pale dawn sky. Ao and Yamato were already on board, appearing to be looking a map while awaiting Naruto's approach.

"Naruto, wait!", Sakura said breathelessly, running to catch up to him.

Naruto's head whipped around in surprise and he immediately halted, waiting expectantly for her to reach him.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Just ready about to leave for training. So what is it?", he said cheerfully. Sakura finally reached him, panting ever so slightly.

"I came to see you off is all. Haven't seen you in a while." Sakura replied honestly. It took her a while to wonder whether she really should or not. Things between her and Naruto have been complicated since the Kage Summit. She wasn't even sure if it was the right thing to do. But, whatever happened between them, she was still his friend; she wanted him to know he had her support.

Naruto looked slightly embarrassed at this, his arm rubbing his head in characteristic sheepishness. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I've just been busy with Captain Yamato. Getting supplies and stuff for the trip, ya know."

Touched by his apologetic tone, Sakura reassured him "It's alright. I figured as much. I've been dealing with my own stuff anyway." Really it was a lie. The week has been slow and all she's been doing is helping out Tsunade a little. Naruto didn't to know that, so she wasn't going to tell him.

Naruto still looked a bit guilty, but he nodded anyway. He then seemed at a loss at what to say, Sakura not faring any better than him. The awkward silence between them was uncomfortable for Sakura. She missed the comfortable, simple relationship she had with him before everything that happened recently. _ It's all my fault. I'm the reason we've been avoiding each other, lately. If only I could fix this._ Sakura thought miserably, the weight of her failure again hanging over her head that she tries to ignore.

Naruto finally broke the silence, "The trip on sea's probably gonna be boring though. A whole month on a ship? What the hell am I supposed to do? Lay around?", he complained loudly.

Torn between amusement and exsasperation at his typical complaining, she retorted "Why not? You're _really _good at it, after all.", secretly grateful at Naruto's ability to defuse any awkward, tense situation.

"Sakura-chan ...", Naruto whined.

"You know it's true.", Sakura muttered.

"Doesn't mean you have to point it out, though!", he said, his arms crossed and face scrunched up that childish pout of his when she said something he didn't like. Sakura couldn't help but smile fondly at this, remembering a time when she used to find that trait of his annoying.

Just then, a yell came from behind them from the ship's mast. "Naruto! It's time to go!", Yamato called.

"Just a sec!", Naruto shouted back. "Gotta go now, Sakura-chan. Don't worry, I'll come back and be way stronger!", he said confidently.

"I know you will, Naruto. Just ... be careful, okay?" Sakura slightly pleaded. She couldn't help but be worried over him, especially because of that reckless, overconfident attitude of his.

"Come on, you worry too much, Sakura-chan! Aren't I always careful?", Naruto reassured her lightly, grinning at her.

"No! You're not, baka!", Sakura snapped in annoyance. _You're nothing but reckless, Naruto. I don't know how many times you've almost gave me a heartattack with how risky you are, _Sakura though privately.

"Easy, Sakura-chan. It's just training, after all. Nothing's gonna happen to me, I promise.", Naruto replied, much more gently this time.

Sakura knew she was overreacting a little but she couldn't help it. Often against her will, she worried over him constantly even when she shouldn't. _It's because of his stupid recklessness is why. Nothing else, _Sakura reasoned logically, angry with herself.

Realizing that Naruto was still waiting for a response, Sakura nodded quickly. "Sure. Good luck, Naruto. I believe in you.", she said, her voice shaking slightly with emotion, knowing she meant it from the bottom of her heart. There was nothing he couldn't accomplish, even when it seemed impossible. She trusted him and believed in him even more than she did herself.

Naruto looked shocked for a second at her statement, astounded by her faith in him. Recovering soon after, he grinned widely and put his arms behind his head again. "Heh heh. You know me. Thanks, Sakura-chan.", he responded, his voice dripping with gratitude and happiness.

"Naruto! Hurry up already! You can talk with Sakura later!", Yamato called again, irritation clear in his voice at the unplanned delay.

"Relax, already! I'm coming, dattebayo!" Naruto retorted, sounding equally as annoyed.

He turned to Sakura. "Really gotta go now, Sakura-chan. See ya when I get back." Naruto sprinted off to the boat and reached it quickly enough.

From the distance, she could see Naruto make flustered hand movements with an irritated expression while talking to Yamato. _Probably arguing with him, the baka, _she thought heaving a sigh. However the argument dissolved quick enough when Ao seemed to calm both of them down, much to Sakura's relief.

She was about to turn around and walk off until she heard a very loud voice. It was Naruto. "Bye, Sakura-chan! You be careful too, 'kay!", waving widely at her with his arm

"I will! Bye, Naruto!", Sakura called back cheerfully, her arms cupping her mouth on reflex.

Sakura watched the ship until it disappeared from sight. She felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach. Naruto didn't know about the war that was looming on the horizon. She didn't like keeping such a thing from him, but it was ordered. Besides that, it was too dangerous for him to be involved. He's still the target of the Akatsuki and they couldn't risk him being in danger. Sakura knew Naruto wouldn't like it. He'd jump right into the war without a second thought if he knew. _That's exactly why we're doing this. Naruto can't be involved with this. I'm sorry, Naruto. I don't want you getting hurt._

Afterwards, Sakura wandered throughout the village, intending to go home and maybe relax. However, she was stopped when she heard someone calling her. A black-haired woman was walking toward her.

"Shizune!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise.

"Sakura. Glad I caught you. Lady Tsunade would like to see you. Right now." Shizune ordered.

"Lady Tsunade? What does she want?", Sakura asked, curious.

Shizune gazed at her in sympathy. "You'll have see when you meet her." Shizune's voice was evasive and she wouldn't directly meet her eyes.

This unsettled Sakura. Due to Shizune's pitying expression, she had sneaking suspicion that Tsunade was displeased about something. _That's never good. _Sakura thought in fear, remembering her master's terrifying temper. Caught between dread and morbid curiousity, Sakura allows herself to follow Shizune.

_What does Lady Tsunade want? Did I do something wrong?_

* * *

A/N: That is the first chapter, my friends :). Came out better than I thought it would XD. And longer :P. Some nice NaruSaku bits in this one. I hope I kept them in character since that's something I''ve always worried about when it comes to starting fanfiction XD. My idea of this chapter was because we never saw Sakura see Naruto off when he left to Turtle Island. Probably happened off-screen but it bothered me a little. So this is how I imagined it going :D. Not sure when I'll update but the longest will probably be a week.

**Preview to next Chapter: **Sakura has a emotional as well as scary talk with Tsunade. Which again causes her to contemplate on her failures and everything else she believes.

**Reviews please! They motivate me to continue this story :D** **_ -RomanceGirl _**


	2. Chapter 2: Confrontations

A/N: Here is the second chapter. It's angsty and a little harsh(from Tsunade's side, anyway XD) but this is what I feel should have(or possibly did off-screen) have happened between Sakura and Tsunade after the Kage Summit. It needed to be adressed :). And yes because I believe I stick to canon, one-sided SasuSaku is implied in it which I hope you are okay with :D.

**Disclaimer: I am not Kishi. If I was, Sakura would have already let go of her feelings for Sasuke, Jiraiya wouldn't have died, and Tenten would be less useless.**

_Enjoy the chapter that I turned out to be much longer than the last one XD!_

* * *

Confrontations and Contemplation

Sakura trailed uneasily after Shizune, a millon different scenerions running through her head at _what _exactly would cause Shizune to look so serious. _'Did I forget to help Lady Tsunade with the paperwork? No, not that. She ran out out of sake? Never. She almost always has a full stash with her. Besides why would Lady Tsunade blame ME for that?' _she thought incredulously, a slight scowl forming on her face at the stupid suggestion.

_ 'Is it...? No, no I'm already hating myself enough for what I did. I don't need the Hokage to lecture me about the Land of Iron again!'_ Guilt and self-loathing sweeped into Sakura's body, so strong she had to force herself to not stand still.

Despite her efforts, her footsteps slowed a little, until she stopped completely. This action caused Shizune to be noticably ahead of her. Upon noticing this, the older medic-nin turned around, slightly surprised.

"Sakura...?" Shizune called to her, her delicate facial expression reverting back to somber.

The young pink-haired girl was standing still, her fist clenched at her sides. Her facial expression held such pain and heartbreaking misery, so much so that it shocked her. The deep emerald depths of her eyes staring unseeing at the ground. Sympathy welled up into Shizune's heart despite the cirumstances. She knew Sakura's ill-concieved plan in The Land of Iron. More than she truly wanted to know. Some part of her was disapointed in the girl who she sees as almost a younger sister. But the other part of her understood what she was trying to do and the good intentions she had, so couldn't truly be angry with her.

When Sakura gave no sign that she had heard her, Shizune walked up to her and put her hand on Sakura's slim shoulders, an attempt at comfort. She jumped slightly at this, snapping out of her grief-filled daze. Seeing Shizune's compassionate, understanding gaze, she smiled weakly at the gentle medical ninja. Sakura was glad she was able to see support from her. It really meant a lot to her, despite it doing little to relieve her of her sense of incompetence.

"Sakura, are you-" Shizune began

Sakura quickly shaked her head before she could finish her sentence. "It's not important. Really. Let's just hurry to Lady Tsunade before she get's impatient." she said, silently hoping her voice sounded even enough for Shizune to buy she was alright.

She doubted it, as her expression still looked worried and sad. Nevertheless, Shizune nodded and leaded the way through the still being rebuild village, nearing Tsunade's residence in her tent by every step.

* * *

Sakura and Shizune finally reached Tsunade's tent. The trip seemed to take a lot longer than usual to Sakura, though she quickly came to the conclusion that was probably just anixiety. They walked into the maureen-colored shelter, Sakura still somewhat hiding behind Shizune.

Tsunade was still there of course, appearing to be talking to Shikaku, Shikamaru's genuis father. She looked as annoyed as ever, though Sakura concluded that her particular annoyance was not at her.

"The Raikage has yet to sent us updates of what he has been doing in prepartion for the war. What the hell is taking him so long? We agreed that the Kages would have a meeting and discuss battle strategies of what we are to do against Madara. " Tsunade snapped, her harsh voice clearly agitated.

Shikaku bowed respectfully "Lady Hokage, I'm sure we'll get it in time. Just be patient." Tsunade growled under her breath, his words doing little to soothe her votalie temper. _Patience has never been Lady Tsunade's strong suit', _Sakura thought.

Tsunade then looked behind Shikaku, and spotted Shizune and her younger student.

"Shizune. I see you brought my apprentice like I asked you to." Tsunade stated, her amber eyes unreadable as they travelled over the black-haired woman and then finally Sakura, who flinched slightly as her gaze rested a moment longer on her. "Shikaku, leave us. We may talk over this little discussion later." She ordered.

Shikaku looked relieved at this, likely wanting to avoid upsetting the testy Hokage any further. "Yes, Lady Tsunade." he said politely, bowing again respectfully and quickly excited out of the tent.

Tsunade sighed and clasped her hands in front of her on her desk; her usual pose. "Shizune."

"Yes?" she said

"You leave as well. I would like to talk to Sakura, _alone_." Tsunade stated in a hard tone, which left no room for argument. Sakura inwardly winced at this, fully acknowledging that her discussion with Tsunade was in no way possible going to be pleasant.

Shizune looked dismayed, briefly looking like she wanted to protest. But at Tsunade's firm glare, she gave in. With a defeated sigh and unsurprised expression, she turned around to walk out.

Sakura stared sadly at her, wanting Shizune's comforting presence with her on this. She knew she didn't deserve it. But to her surprise, Shizune paused beside her for a moment. In whispered words so quiet she doubted anyone but her could hear it, she said gently "Whatever Lady Tsunade says to you, just know that it's only because she cares. No matter how harsh she may seem."

Before Sakura could react, Shizune was gone. Sakura was then forced to turn to her master, refusing to directly met her eyes, fearing what she might see in her amber depths.

A brief silence stretched between them. Working up her courage, Sakura bravely asked what she already knew the answer to. "What is it that you wanted, Lady Tsunade?", Sakura cursing inwardly upon realizing the waver in her voice.

"I trust you don't need to ask that question, Sakura.", Tsunade claimed, her voice undoubtably containing barely surpressed anger.

Sakura said nothing, already expecting the barrage of accusations she knew were coming.

As expected, Tsunade carried on "How could someone as smart as you be such a fool! You defied direct orders. Taking on Sasuke by yourself! Are you so eager to die?" she retorted angrily.

Sakura looked up at this time. Tsunade looked furious, her anger clearly seen in her amber eyes. "Lady Tsunade. I know what I did was wrong but-", Sakura bit her lip, trying to find the right words to justify her desperate thinking in during the time of the Kage Summit. " I had to! Naruto does so much! Risking his life constantly to bring Sasuke back! I had to take the burdan for once. Be useful! Help. And-" Sakura stopped abruptly, not wanting to reveal her other reason for doing what she did. _And to save Sasuke from himself, _she finished miserably, the usual pain coming back when she thought about Sasuke.

Unfortunately, Sakura's pleas did little to calm down her. In fact, it only seemed to make her angrier. "None of that matters! Being a shinobi does not mean doing everything on your own!", she said venomously. "You should have trusted in your comrades strength. Fighting out on your own against an enemy who is clearly the stronger, only ends in death for any ninja. I'd have thought you realized that by now! Reckless!", Tsunade continued.

Sakura bowed her head in regret and humilation, knowing every word was true.

Tsunade slammed her hands on her desk in fury, so hard Sakura could several new cracks form in the wood. "From the reports Kakashi gave me, _who _was the one that would have gotten themselves killed until Naruto was the one to save that person? Who became _the burdan _yet again?" Those words, spoken so harshly and bluntly, cut Sakura right to the core. '_The burdan. That's all I've ever been. I can only do the simplest and most unimportant things. If I try anything else, I screw it all up.' _Sakura thought bitterly, her old insecurities coming back to haunt her. _I can never help anyone, especially Naruto. The one I want to help the most_.', she realized miserably, unshed tears threatening to fall from her eyelids.

Tsunade didn't seem to register this and if she did, ignored it. "And that's not even the only wrong mistake you made that day. Kakashi told me everything." She revealed. Sakura stared at her in shock, her tears now spilling freely from bloodshot eyes. _'She couldn't know ... no way." _Sakura train of thought ceased, praying that her suspicion was wrong.

* * *

Her master looked at her levelly, giving her a look that she knew _exactly _what happened between her and Naruto that day in the snow. _'I can't deal with this! Not now. Please Kami, not now.' _Sakura's already emotional state of mind couldn't handle this. _'Please Lady Tsunade, don't mention it now.'_

Unfortunately, her wishes wouldn't be answered. "Sakura. How could you do that to Naruto? You of all people ..." Tsunade trailed off for a minute. Sakura noticed a change in her master. Her eyes still held anger. She could see it clearly. But she also saw sadness flicker in her gaze and some other emotion she couldn't name. Disappointment? Sakura couldn't tell.

With tears still streaming down her face that she wasn't even bothering to wipe away, she called quietly "Lady Tsunade, I'm sor-"

" Don't. I'm not the one you should apologize to." Tsunade countered seethingly. "No matter your intentions, good or bad, lying to him and _manipulating _him is not the way!"

For reasons unknown to Sakura, she felt anger when Tsunade said she lied. _It's the truth though, right? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore.' _Sakura thought, confusion and anger spiralling in her mind.

Tsunade glared at her apprentice. "Sakura, Naruto of all people!" she pointed out angrily. Tsunade paused mid-speech, as if weighing in her mind that she should say her next statement. _'To hell with it. Sorry Naruto but I have to tell Sakura this. It's the only way she'll learn anything.' _Tsunade resolved. "Are you that blind, Sakura? Don't you see how much you mean to Naruto? Everyone but you can see it." Tsunade began

Sakura looked her master with wide eyes, already anticipating her teacher's next statement. "_Have I been that oblivious?", _she wondered despairingly.

Unaware that Sakura already knew what she was about to say, Tsunade continued "That baka truly loves!", she confessed, her voice thick with emotion.

Fresh tears crashed down from her eyes in waves, just like it did when Sai told her Naruto was in love with her. _'Do you think I don't know that? I couldn't be any more aware of it if he came out and told me.' _she thought in sorrow and guilt.

Tsunade leaned in her chair, some of her earlier anger disipating. "There. Even though Naruto probably wouldn't like that I told you, it's the truth." She closed her eyes briefly but then snapped them open and looked at her tear-streaked student. "That's why confessing when you're not ready, regardless of intentions, would only hurt him more." She reasoned.

Sakura didn't seem to register the first part of her statement, only catching the second part of "hurting him more". _That's all I ever do, right? I just make him suffer. After everything I've done ... all the selfish, hurtful things I've said ... that stupid promise ... how can he be stupid enough to love someone as horrible as I am?" _For the life of her, she could never understand how such a great person like him could fall for someone like her. Probably never will.

She was brought out of her reverie when Tsunade heaved a loud, tired sigh. She was pulling out a bottle of sake. She looked at the blonde woman in defeat. On normal circumstances, she would lecture her master about drinking so much, but at this moment she was too emotionally drained to bring herself to care. "You and I are a lot alike, Sakura. More than I would like." Tsunade said softly. She looked up at the pink-haired teen, her eyes holding so many different emotions too difficult to make out. "Don't make the same mistakes I made. You'd have far too many regrets." Tsunade finished, her normally rough voice quiet and sad. Sakura looked at her master, puzzled. She could see the emotions reflecting in Tsunade's eyes now. Her amber depths held sadness, grief, pain, ... regret?

Confused, Sakura asked the single question that had been on her mind. "Lady Tsunade, what are you-"

"You'll understand someday." Tsunade said evasively.' _I just hope it isn't too late. I don't want you to go through the same pain I did.'_ She thought sadly. That type of pain is far too much for anyone to handle.

Sakura was unsatisfied with that answer, but her emotional stability was too worn out to ask any further. Shizune's words ringed in her mind: '_Whatever Lady Tsunade says to you, it's only because she cares. No matter how harsh she may seem.'_

"Sakura, I want you to go home and rest. You have a C-rank misson I want you to go on tommorrow.", Tsunade ordered, her tone now formal.

"A C-rank? What is it?", Sakura asked, curious.

"I'll explain all the details tommorrow morning. For now, go home and relax." Tsunade replied.

"Alright then." Sakura agreed, wiping the dried tears off her face. Going home seemed the most appealing thing in the world for her right now. She exited Tsunade's tent and went off to her home.

* * *

After seeing Sakura's retreating form, she drank a few cups of sake. The liquid burned satifsyingly down her throat. Soon after, Shizune returned and entered. She looked worried.

"What is it, Shizune?" Tsunade asked distractedly, taking another swig of her sake.

"It's ... well ... it's Sakura." Shizune confessed. "I just saw her. She looked awful! Like she was sobbing." Shizune took on a downcast expression. "I haven't seen her that bad since ..." Shizune trailed off, remembering when Sai had told Sakura Naruto's feelings while Tsunade was still in coma.

Tsunade took on a more serious expression and again sighed for what felt like the millonth time today. "She has a lot of problems, that one. Sakura's so confused about her own feelings, she probably doesn't like to think about them at all. What she feels for Naruto ... for Sasuke. She'll just have to figure it out on her own. We can't force her to come to grips about anything." Tsunade finished.

Shizune didn't look surprised but still had a worrying, doubtful look on her expression. "I guess that's all we really can do." Shizune acknowledged, looking disappointed.

Tsunade didn't respond. She took another shot of sake, already feeling herself getting tipsy. _Damn emotional crap. I'm getting too old to be playing matchmaker.' _she thought in annoyance

* * *

A/N: I'm really proud of this chapter. It's much longer and I'm more or less pleased with how this came out. The Shizune/Sakura bonding part wasn't planned XD Kinda just popped out. I wanted to do this because I felt it was lacking in the manga/anime. Tsunade would clearly be angry and face Sakura about all her mistakes. :P I completely believe that this is how it would almost be in canon.

_Next Chapter: _Sakura's C-rank misson gone wrong :D.

**Reviews please! I would like to see other thoughts on this chapter besides mine :P**


	3. Chapter 3: Mission Simplicity

**A/N: **Third Chapter guys :D. I would have updated sooner but I had a mild case of writer's block for a few days XD. I'm still not completely satisfied with this chapter and it strikes me as somewhat random :P but it's all I could really come up with and will be the corner stone for future chapters :D.

**Constructive critizism is always welcome :).**

**Disclaimer: If I was Kishi not only would I not be wasting the precious hours of my life writing fanfiction, JiraTsu would have definitely happened, Hinata wouldn't be pairing fodder, and Orochimaru would stop having nine lives(Damn that Sasuke for bringing him back!).**

* * *

Misson Simplicity Turned Impossible

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Sakura stirred slightly in her sleep. In her sleep-induced state, she faintly heard insistent beeping noises. Sakura buried herself more deeply in the covers, hoping it would go away.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

She growled in annoyance and quickly put her pillow over her head, desperately trying to muffle to increasingly irritating sounds. '_Just shut the hell up already. I'm trying to sleep_ _here!' _Sakura thought sleepily, not necessarily realizing what exactly was going off.

_Beep. Beep-_

Sakura striked out at the source of her annoyance without thinking, wanting to do just about _anything _to silence that annoying sound! The beeping abruptly stopped, which greatly relieved her. Somewhat more awake than before, she blinked up her eyes. Sakura blurrily made out her now smashed alarm clock, unknowingly having used her monster strength to have broken it. She stared at her damaged clock in dismay _'Great. Another clock I've broken. Good thing I have some other ones just in case this happened again.' _Sakura grumbled, glad her mother didn't see her. She would only lecture her again for 'lack of restraint'.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and stretched, her tense muscles relaxing a little. Sakura still felt exhausted despite the long rest. After seeing Tsunade, she had fallen asleep immediately. But her dreams had been troubled with nightmares. So many confusing images had ran through her mind that she had difficulty trying to make out exactly _what _it had been about. _That doesn't really matter right now, anyway. _Sakura thought, perplexed on why she was even still mulling it over.

Just then, her door was flung open. Sakura jumped a little at this, missing the comforting silence of her room.

"Sakura-chan! You're finally awake." To Sakura's dismay, it was Mebuki. Her mother glanced at her, her green eyes holding a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

"Do you even know the meaning of the word 'knock'?" Sakura grumbled, annoyed with her mother's directness as always.

"Of course I do. But you're my daughter so it doesn't matter as much." Mebuki countered. The short-haired blonde woman stepped into the room, scruntinzing Sakura's room carefully. Horror flooded through her. '_Oh no. She's gonna see my clock! I should have thrown it out already. _Sakura realized, mentally slapping herself.

As expected, Mebuki's sharp gaze found what was left of her alarm clock. Her pale features took on an exsasperated expression. She quickly whipped around to Sakura, as if getting ready for another lecture.

"Now Sakura, how many times have I told you? You need to learn to-"

"Come on Mebuki. Go easy on Sakura-chan. She got her temper from you, after all." Kizashi interrupted his wife before she could go any further. He had walked on on the conversation. As usual, he had a carefree and peaceful expression on his face.

Mebuki glared at her husband. " Why? Someone needs to steer her right. She needs to learn from someone." She pointed out, clearly displeased that Kizashi would get involved now.

The dark pink-haired man put his hands up defensively, trying to calm his irritable wife. "Sakura-chan's mature for her age already. She doesn't need to be punished for something like this. She's 16, remember?" Kizashi reasoned, still trying to appear non-threatening.

Sakura had never been so relieved for her dad's interference. Despite his really annoying jokes and unserious demeanor, he could really come through sometimes. '_He's definitely a breath of fresh air compared to Mom.' _Sakura thought, still amazed that such different people could end up married.

Mebuki was still somewhat glaring to Kizashi, but Sakura could tell her resolve was breaking a little. Mebuki sighed in irritation, "I guess ... you're right." She admitted. Sakura could tell how difficult it was for her to admit such a thing. _'Thank you, Dad.' _Sakura sighed in relief.

"Anyway Sakura-chan, don't you have a mission assigned to today by the Hokage?" Mebuki reminded her.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She had completely forgot! She quickly scrambled out of her bed like lightning, all sense of fatigue gone. '_What time is it?' _Sakura thought in a panic, only to be reminded that she had broken her clock already_. 'Uggh. What the hell is wrong with me?' _Sakura thought frustratedly, slapping her forehead.

Still in a panicked state, she grabbed her mother by her shirt collar. "What time is it?! Tell me, please!" Sakura asked desperately.

Mebuki looked taken aback by Sakura's frenzied reaction. "It's only around 6:30." she answered, bewildered.

This did little to quell Sakura's sense of urgency. "Damnit! I'm supposed to be there in like 20 minutes! I need to hurry before I'm late! Lady Tsunade will kill me!" Sakura said hysterically, irrational fear seen clearly on her face.

Mebuki wasn't surprised. Her daughter had always greatly respected Tsunade but she had also set a great deal of healthy fear of her. This had started when she became apprencticed the Fifth Hokage. Mebuki could understand that fear. Her temper was by far the scariest she had ever seen, even her own. Which took a lot of pride for her to admit.

Seeing Sakura frantically gather her ninja clothes and tools, Mebuki sighed and decided to leave Sakura be. She turned to Kizashi, who was currently regarding his daughter with a amused expression. "Come on, Kizashi. Let's leave Sakura to get ready for her mission." Kizashi complied and they quickly left Sakura's room, closing the door behind them.

* * *

Sakura left her home as quickly a possible, not even bothering to eat the breakfast her mother had prepared for her. She ran as fast as she could, only saying hasty apologies to those she got accidently bumped into and quick greetings to the friends she went past. While nearing Tsunade's tent, Sakura spotted her sensei Kakashi, casually walking with his hands in his pockets.

He took notice of his student running quickly towards him. "Well hello there, Sakura." Kakashi greeted in his usual cheerful voice, waving at her a little. "I was just strolling around on the path of life."

"Can't talk. Gotta go. Sorry Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura replied quickly, already speeding past him, barely acknowledging his presence.

Kakashi looked after her, a confused (or at least what looked like confusion on the one part of his face that wasn't covered with a mask) expression on his face. "Well, she's in a hurry." The silver-haired Jonin noted curiously.

Sakura reached her destination finally, quickly entering the tent. _'Please tell me I'm not late. Please tell me I'm not late.' _Sakura prayed over and over in her mind.

"Sakura, you're late." Tsunade stated matter-of-factly.

Sakura flinched. _'Well, so much for that.'_ she thought in disapointment, visibly sighing.

Tsunade studied her student. Sakura looked slightly bedraggled but still seemed in much better condition than she did yesterday. Her emerald eyes were clear and bright, though she could see signs of fatigue under her eyes. _'Good thing her mission is nothing too difficult__.' _Tsunade thought in satisfaction.

"You're late." Tsunade repeated, making sure some of her annoyance slipped through in her tone.

As expected, Sakura began to babble a barely coherent apology. "I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade. I ..." Sakura paused, biting her lip. "Overslept." she finished sheepishly, inwardly cursing herself at such a stupid mistake.

Tsunade's hard look softened slightly. "It doesn't really matter anyway. You're only late by a few minutes." Tsunade conceded, shocking Sakura. "What matters now is you're here." Tsunade wore an amused smirk, clearly enjoying her pupil's dumbfounded expression. " Now I'm going to debrief you on you're next mission."

Snapping out of her surprised stupor, she quickly replied "Y-yeah. What's the mission?" Sakura asked professionally, curiousity in her eyes.

"It's simple, really. All you have to do is give this scroll to the Sand Village." Tsunade stated, pulling out a green-and-white scroll from her desk. She then handed the scroll to the pink-haired girl.

Sakura took it from her master, but visibly deflated. " Just a messenger mission?" Sakura asked, hoping her displeasure wasn't showing through.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly, but continued explaining. " It doesn't make it any less important. This is a C-rank true, but it's necessary that this is transported to the Sand. A war is just about to break on the horizon as you very well know. And this scroll contains information regarding Madara. It is vital that this is taken to Lord Kazekage immediately, in order to improve our sucess." Tsunade finished, daring her to question her any further.

Luckily, Sakura had more common sense than to protest against the Hokage and she also recognized how important this task was, but this didn't make her any more eager. '_Just transporting a scroll? Couldn't I have a more exciting misson?' _Sakura couldn't help thinking. _'And great. Now I sound like Naruto.' _she realized with annoyance, knowing that the baka would be thinking the same thing if he was assigned this.

She pushed Naruto out of her mind, and regarded Tsunade with her full attention. "Is any other ninja coming along on this misson?" Sakura questioned. She doubted it. It was just a quick trip to give a scroll. But for the sake of it, she asked anyway.

"No. Any extra shinobi coming along on this mission would be unnecessary. So it's only you on this. I trust you won't lose it." Tsunade said

"Course not! I'll bring it to Gaara without fail, M'lady." Sakura promised confidently, finally taking the misson as seriously as she could.

Tsunade nodded. "You are to leave immediately." she ordered in finality

"Got it!" Sakura replied, putting the scroll away into her pouch. _'This is gonna be easy for sure.'_

* * *

In the middle of the afternoon, the fair-skinned medic-nin was jumping through the trees. Leaving behind the Leaf Village and already in the forest, en route to Sand Village. She stopped briefly on a tree branch, trying to recall the direction she went last time she was visting the Sand Village.

'_Let's see. Last time, the trip took about three days of travelling. And that was because we where in a rush to get there. So I'll probably go as fast as I can too. But I'll rest briefly a few times. And it's ... this way!' _Sakura recalled, her memory finally catching up to her. Some part of her was excited to see Temari and Gaara again. She had been wondering how they have been.

* * *

On the second day of travelling, Sakura rested briefly near a tree. She was tired due to the nonstop motion she had been doing for the past 24 hours. Realizing there was a stream near her, she stretched her tired limbs and bent over to get some nice, clear water in her canteen. The cool liquid was incredibly satisying to a parched Sakura. '_So one more day and then I'm there.' _Sakura realized, relieved.

However, Sakura then heard a rustle in the bushes behind her. Her guard instinctively up, she get out a kunai and glanced cautiously at the source of the noise.

Her green eyes narrowed in suspicion, she called "Who's there?"

The bushes rustled some more and a tall figure emerged from them. Sakura stared in shock and horror, realizing with dread _exactly _who the perpertrater was.

His swirled orange mask glinting strangely in the afternoon light, Tobi regarded her with distain.

"A little girl like you ... all alone." He drawled out, his one sharingan eye filled with malice.

Anger surged through Sakura at his words filled with contempt. "Shut it! Don't underestimate me." She spat back, her fury momentarily making her forget her fear.

Tobi gave her something akin to a pitying look. "What could someone as weak as you do? You're nothing but an ant compared to me." He replied to her arrogantly.

This only fueled Sakura's fury and anger at his arrogance, but the realist in her knew full well he was right. _'As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. I have no chance against him like this. But he has to have SOME weakness. Anything. I'll just have to figure it out. I'm not giving up without a fight.'_ Sakura's teeth clenched together in anger and her fist tightened._ 'This guy ... he's responsible for everything. He corrupted Sasuke-kun and wants to kill Naruto. I won't let him win!' _She resolved, her determination rising with every minute.

Tobi regarded her with something that could be interpreted as amusement, seeing the hatred, anger, and determination in the young kunoichi's gaze. '_Her efforts are futile and she knows it. Yet why is she so stubborn to try? I could easily kill her. Maybe I'll try THAT jutsu ...'_ Tobi decided, wanting to test out that new jutsu he had recently come across.

Hatred towards this man welled up inside Sakura's heart. "I'll do anything I can to stop you! Even if it kills me!" Sakura shouted, charging up her green chakra into her gloved fist. As fast as she could, Sakura charged at him "Shannaro!" she yelled. Her punch would have hit Madara dead-on but as she expected, he didn't move. Her fist slipped harmlessly through his body, instead hitting the ground.

Tobi's eye widened slightly but he quickly got at of her range, seeing the massive crater that formed soon afterwards. " Such impressive range for one hit." He admitted, surprised.

Sakura turned her head and glared at him. "You haven't seen nothing yet!" She countered.

"And I won't. For you will be long gone before you can do anything more." Tobi said omniously.

"What the hell is does that-" Sakura began, only to be silenced by Tobi's inhuman speed. He grapped her by her neck before she could react, choking her. Sakura gasped for air as the hand constricted around her throat.

"You will soon find out." Tobi replied. Her struggles were strong and she was resisting with all her might, but it was worthless.

Still desperately trying to release his grip around her throat, spots were beginning to form in her eyes. A sure sign of losing consciousness _'Am I ... going to die like this? I'm sorry, Naruto. I couldn't take him on for you.' _Sakura thought hazily. _If I do die Naruto, just remember it wasn't your fault. Being the noble idiot you are, you probably won't see it that way.' _Sakura recognized sadly.

Seeing her struggles die down a little, Tobi looked at her closely. He could see that she was on the verge of passing out but her emerald gaze still held defiance and stubborness. Furious by her fiery attitude, he choked her tighter around her neck. Sakura gasped in pain, but continued her angry, pain-filled glare.

"Stubborn and fighting until the end. You're a strong one ... for a woman." Tobi acknowledged, impressed that the kunoichi hadn't passed out yet from the strain. Most others would. Sakura on the other hand, was furiously fighting blacking out the more his chokehold strengthened. _'I'm not gonna die like that. I'm gonna die ... fighting!' _Sakura resolved, her pride and personal disgust towards him refusing to give him any satisfication.

Tobi reached for her ninja pouch, knowing she still held the scroll in it. Sakura's strength briefly returned and she fought more furiously, loosening his grip for a second._'You're not getting it! No way!' _Sakura thought angrily. However, Tobi won out, again leaving her helpless as he retrieved the scroll with his other hand.

"I believe this belongs to me." He replied smoothly, holding the scroll containing the secrets of Madara. Tobi stared at her levelly. "Now, begone. Time Manipulation Jutsu!" Tobi recited, a void beginning to form from his eye.

Sakura started in horror as she felt herself being sucked in, futilely fighting against it. Intense pain began to come all over her entire body. A bright white light scarred her vision. In the end, she was greeted by comforting blackness.

* * *

Tobi watched curiously as the Leaf kunoichi was sucked into the void. It was so similar to his Time Teleportation jutsu but he could tell it was different. It had been a test, to see if he could work it on a ninja. Turned out, given the effects, he had done it perfectly. Too bad she had been on a single mission but either way, her fate would have been the same. His guinea pig was what she was. '_And her mission was ... this.'_ Tobi recalled, turning over the scroll that the pink-haired girl had in her possession. _'I thought I had destroyed anything in the Leaf records that related to Madara's abilities.' _Tobi thought, his pride and anger spiralling through him that he hadn't.

While he inspected the scroll, a figure emerged from the ground. Zetsu of course, whose job was to record all of the battles. "Quick fight as always, Tobi. You beat that medic-nin real good." White Zetsu told him gleefully, in it's usual cheerful way.

Black Zetsu interrupted his counterpart. " So you tried out THAT jutsu, did you? Is the girl dead?" it questioned darkly.

"She's most likely dead. A transition such as that I'm told is excuriatingly painful." Tobi answered. "But it does not matter to us. She's no threat. And if she is still alive ..." Tobi turned his head to Zetsu, his sharingan glinting cruelly. "She will not be able to return."

* * *

**A/N: Finished Chapter Three ;). In some ways, I'm very proud of this chapter and in others I'm disapointed XD. This is my longest chapter yet. It literally took on a life of it's own XD. But I'm mostly satisfyed with this :). And Sakura's parents had a cameo XD! That was unexpected but I enjoyed writing them :). And poor Sakura XD. As much as I love seeing Sakura kick some ass, I had to be realistic. She would stand no chance against Tobi alone. Her failure was hard for me to write :(. I left some cliff-hanger on this one :P, but I'm sad to say my updates might be less frequent. I'm starting school on Wednesday again(Boo!) but I will try to aim for one week updates :). If it's later than one week sometimes, don't get too upset XD. **

**Reviews are always great to read :) **


	4. Chapter 4: Possible Repercussions

**A/N:** Finally, what happens next after my evil cliff-hanger I left last chapter ;). Our favorite red-headed kunoichi finally makes an appearance! And remember, I always welcome constructive critizism :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sakura would punch the living hell out a Sasuke, Sasuke would have never left the village, and Asuma would have never being killed by that bastard Hidan.**

* * *

Possible Reburcussions

A girl was running through the trees at breakneck speed, her long, blood-red hair fanning out wildly behind her. Her pale complexion looked determined and focused. She jumped from tree to tree, still keeping that steady speed of hers. '_Yes! I'm almost about to beat my record in speed last time. Maybe I'll almost catch up to Minato.' _the girl wondered, this single thought only increasing her determination. _'Hell yeah! No one messes with Kushina the Red Habanerno! Minato will see, dattebane!' _Kushina thought excitedly.

Kushina continued her self-appointed misson, almost reaching her stopping point. However, Kushina's face took on a shocked expression, stopping so abruptly on a tree branch that she lost her balance. "Whoa! Whoa!" she shouted involunentarily. Her arms windmilled behind her, desperately trying to save herself the embarassment of falling off. After a few rather ungraceful moments, she finally regained her balance. On normal circumstances, she would be greatly pissed off at herself for such a clumsy move (which sadly seemed to happen to her often) or the thing that caused it, being it a person or object. But that time was not now.

The red-head's navy eyes fell on what had caused her blundering. It was a girl, lying prone on the forest floor. She couldn't make out much, only a bright splash of pink she assumed was hair. _'Talk about standing out. Her hair is almost as conspicious as mine.' _was the first thought that flew through Kushina's mind. But soon after, her surpise was overtaken by worry. '_What's a girl like her doing out here all unconscious? Was she attacked or something?' _she wondered. '_Duh, stupid. Of course she was.'_ Kushina scolded herself, rolling her eyes at her denseness.

Her somewhat round face took on a slightly panicked expression. "And what the hell am I still doing over her?! That girl could be seriously hurt! She needs help!" Kushina shouted aloud angrily. Cursing her slowness and inability to act as quick as she liked to, Kushina jumped down from the branch she had been perching on. Torn between curiousity and concern, she sprinted to where the pink-haired girl lay, trying to get a better look.

Thanks to her increased momentum, Kushina reached her destination. She paused next to the teenager, who looked to be about the same age as her. Horror overcame as she stared in shock at how severely injured the girl was. She had several burns across her arms and legs; they looked so raw and painful it made Kushina cringe slightly. Her gaze searched her, wanting to judge just how badly her injuries were. From what she could see, she had clearly defined gashes and cuts that were still bleeding heavily. Her whole body was so full of injuries that to her it almost seemed the girl was just one big wound.

Kushina knelted down by the pink-haired girl, checking her pulse to see if she was even still alive. _'Please, don't be dead.' _she prayed, even though she did not know this girl. To Kushina's relief and mild surpise, she was still alive. Still, her pulse was faint and not as strong as he should be. Compassion and sympathy welled up inside. '_This girl's been through hell. She needs to go to hospital right away.' _Kushina's eyes caught sight of the girl's red forehead protecter, dirty but still strapped to her head. _'Konoha ninja, huh? Funny how I don't recognize her.' _she thought but this discovery only strengthened her desire to rescue her.

"Hey, don't worry. I'll getcha outta her in one time, I promise! Don't die on me yet, 'kay?" Kushina couldn't help herself saying, despite knowing full that the kunoichi was too out cold in front of her to even begin to register her words. Carefully, she gingerly put the girl's arm around her shoulder, trying to support her. She couldn't help wincing again at how badly messed up this stranger was. _'Good thing you're unconscious. Otherwise, you'd be in a whole lot of pain right about now.' _she thought, hoping that this girl would be able to make it.

"I have to hurry!" Kushina said. Her navy-blue eyes hard with determination and her mouth set in a thin line, she began her run back to Konoha as fast as she can, grateful for her large amounts of stamina. Leaving the forest on the outskirts of the village behind, her original purpose for coming in there long forgotten.

* * *

It didn't take very long for Kushina to arrive at the Konoha hospital, partly due to the non-stop pace she had kept up ever since she decided to save this girl. She had crashed into many people, often biting back the urge to snap curses at them for being in her way. She's trying to save someone here! Thankfully, some found the little sense they had and realized the urgency of what was going on, catching sight of the person sprung like a deadweight across the young kunoich's shoulders.

She burst through the doorways, startling several people who were waiting for their turn to get checked up. She heard some gasps from a few of them but ignored them. Desperately, she approached a medic-nin who had just emerged from the hallway. He was wearing the typical white oufit most wore around her and regarded Kushina as well as the wounded girl in question with horror.

"Hey! She needs help like really bad right now! So just check on her already, dattebane!" Kushina insisted, not exactly caring how demanding and angry her tone was right at that moment.

Seeing how serious the situation was already from just a glance, he nodded. "Yes, of course." He took the limp kunoichi's weight off the red-head's shoulders and quickly approached the medical-nin unit, whispering urgent words together to the others before taking the pink-haired girl into the Intensive Care unit.

After watching them disappear from sight, relief surged from Kushina. She had done it and what's more, the girl she rescued had surived long enough for her to take her here. That thought appeased her and she felt triumphant at that accomplishment, but her mind was still tinged with worry. She was in such bad shape. Sure she didn't know the girl personally. Hell, she didn't even know her name. But she surely didn't deserve a beating that severe, did she? Kushina couldn't help but sigh heavily, dragging herself down the white wall slowly, consequently know sitting on the floor. '_Some fun day this was.' _she thought sarcastically.

She wished Minato was here. He was always a lot more calmer than she was and he always seemed to know how to make everything better or what to do. A smile graced her lips as she thought about her best friend, wondering how his misson was going that he was sent on. _'Knowing him, probably fine and easy no doubt. He's such a know-at-all.' _Kushina surmized, recalling how he knows almost all the ninja rules and tactics word for word. Kushina never really payed attention during her time in the Academy, unlike him. His smarts could annoy the hell out of her or impress her. It really depended.

Before she started daydreaming, she pushed Minato to the back of her mind. He'll be back soon and then she can tell him how great she was today._ 'Hopefully that girl lives though.' _Kushina frowned worriedly, her concerns for the pink-haired girl she rescued today returning to the forefront of ther thoughts. Giving up defeat in trying to think about anything else other than what went on today, she decided to just wait it out.

* * *

In the end, Kushina had decided to go home. She had neither the motivation nor the desire to stay and wait in that damn hospital. She hated that place and it would take a lot for here to ever be there for extended periods of time. Maybe for Minato if he was severely injured, but he was an exception. A stranger? No frickin way. This is not to say that she did not care. She did. Despite her outward harshness, she cared greatly about people. And her heart had poured out to that girl when realizing her wounded state. Kushina already respected this girl, and she didn't even know her. Which is exactly why she felt obligated to see her today.

After some brief sessions of morning training she did every day, she left her apartment and trudged off to the Konoha hospital. To Kushina's relief, it was much less crowded today and quiet. She never really liked crowds or being trapped in small places for very long. Why exactly, Kushina never really understood but she never dwelled on it that much anyway.

Kushina walked up to the front desk. A nurse was up there looking bored and disinterested, holding a clipboard in her hands. "Hey." Kushina greeted.

The nurse stared blankly at her. "What is it that you want?"

Slightly annoyed with the way she regarded her, Kushina asked as politely as she could "Right. There's this girl that came here the other day, really badly injured and stuff. So you think I could see her or something?"

The brown-haired nurse stared at her, clear irritation in her brown orbs at the vagueness of the red-head's statement. "Name?" she asked professionally.

Kushina put her hand to her chest. "Kushina Uzumaki!" she adressed herself brightly.

The nurse rolled her eyes, before correcting her statement. "No, I mean what's the name of the patient you want to see?"

Kushina blushed, red enough to match her hair color. _'How stupid am I?!'_ she thought in embarassment and indigation. "I knew that!" she snapped, more angry with herself than the nurse. "And ..." Kushina trailed off, looking at her toes. She didn't know that girl's name at all. How was she supposed to know when she was pretty much unconscious when she met her? "Well, I don't exactly know her name." she admitted a bit meekly

The brown-haired woman now had a full-blown glare at the teenager, which Kushina heartily returned. This woman was getting on her nerves. Before anything else was said, it was broken up by a voice. "Kushina-chan, no need to start a fight already. I know who you're talking about and I'll take you to her."

Kushina whipped around to face that interrupter, indigation strongly on her tongue. " I wasn't _starting _anything this time, Shinosuke!" she retorted. "She was-" Kushina began, pointing at the nurse.

"Whatever you say, Kushina-chan. Did you forget what you came for already?" Shinosuke said in a amusement, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth. Kushina recognized this and narrowed her eyes at him in mock anger, too used to Shinosuke to truly be angry with him. Her and Shinosuke have been close ever since she first moved to Konoha from Whirlpool. Even though she had been an outsider, he had always been kind and accepting of her. He was friendly and was able to put up with her occassional moodiness. She would never admit it, but he was almost like a father to her. _'Too bad he works in a stupid place like this.' _she though in annoyance, her loathing for hospitals coming back to her.

" Yeah, right ... sorry." Kushina mumbled, her 'sorry' coming out a bit more quieter than the other words. Nevertheless, the medic-nin led her down the halls.

* * *

Kushina couldn't help wrinkling her nose at the strong smells that seemed to affect the whole building. She could never get used to it and didn't understand how someone could work in place this for hours at a time. It's one of the many reasons she would never want to train to be a medical ninja. _'Well, besides my average chakra control. It's not perfect enough to be one.' _she remembered. That was a slight wound to her pride, but it's not like she really wanted to be one anyway. Though kept her private complaints to herself. She had never really been one to complain over trivial things. It's not like only a few things bothered her. Many things irritated her and she had a lot to complain about. But she learned long ago that half the time complaining didn't change anything so you should just deal with it and hope for the best.

Kushina followed quietly after Shinosuke, her thoughts again getting directed towards the person she rescued yesterday. From what she heard here and there, the pink-haired girl surived the intense procedure that was used to stabilize her. That relieved her immensely and she was glad she was able to save her in time, but her curiousity remained. What happened to her? Who is she? And how did she get hurt so bad? Kushina frowned. No one had recognized her so far, which striked her as odd. From what she could tell, she was a Konoha kunoichi. At least that's what her forehead protecter implied. So many questions were buzzing through her mind. _'When she wakes up, I'll get all the answers I need.'_ Kushina realized, her patience never having been a strong suit of hers.

So immersed in her thoughts as she was, Kushina ran into a solid, warm body. She looked to see the tall frame and shaggy brown hair of Shinosuke who had stopped already by the entrance. He seemed to be enjoying Kushina's mishap. "Could ya maybe give me a warning next time, -dattebane?" Kushina grumbled. Shinosuke didn't reply, his expression reverting from teasing to serious in a blink. He opened the door for them, letting Kushina stepping in first.

The person in front of her was the last person she expected to see. "Third Hokage?" the red-head exclaimed in surprise, noting his typical posture with his arms behind his back and typical, unfasionable (in her eyes) red-and-white robes.

Hiruzen smiled at the young chunin. "Kushina. A joy to see your face as always." he greeted good-naturedly.

Caught off guard, Kushina didn't return his greeting and turned to Shinosuke, who was behind her. "What's he doing here?" she asked curiously.

Shinosuke frowned disaprovingly at Kushina's lack of respect towards her Hokage, knowing how rude and ill-mannered she could be at times. Hiruzen just looked amused. "He's here the same reason as you." Shinosuke replied somewhat vaguely, telling half the truth.

Kushina's eyes widened. "Oh, I almost forget!" she exclaimed. She walked over towards the bed next to the Third Hokage and examined the pink-haired girl. _'She looks better.' _Kushina noted. She still seemed pretty worse for wear. Some of her burns remained, but they were not as raw as they once were. Of course, gashes and cuts were still everywhere. She was also distinctly sure that when she wakes, she will barely be able to move properly. Kushina was no medical ninja, but she wasn't stupid.

"How long will she be out?" Kushina asked inquiringly, not really to anyone in particular.

Unsurprisingly, Shinosuke answered for her. "Hard to say. Her wounds were near-fatal. It took six medic-nin to stabilize her which took exactly 39 hours of complete effort and concertration." Shinosuke's dark blue gaze turned thoughtful and he put his finger under his chin. "If I have to make a estimate, It might take up to 6 days. 5 at the earliest." He clarified with the practiced ease of a seasoned medical ninja.

Kushina wasn't surprised. She didn't even expect her to wake up in a week, let alone less. But that wasn't the only thing she wanted an answer to. "What caused it? Do you know?" Kushina wondered.

Shinosuke exchanged a glance with the Third Hokage. Some unspoken message passed between them that Kushina couldn't even began to cobble together. The Third Hokage glanced at Kushina. "We truly don't know. This woman just arrived here yesterday after all and not eveything can be made clear through wounds." He explained. His voice sounded sincere enough to Kushina's ears, but she was positive they were hiding something. Due to the glances Shinosuke kept exchanging with the Hokage, her suspicions grew. She narrowed her eyes and a slight scowl formed on her face. _'They're definitely hiding something. Shouldn't I know? I'm the one who saved her, didn't I?' _Kushina silently protested but her logic got the better of her. She was a Chunin after all, and 16. Whatever it is that they're keeping a secret, it must be classifed. 'Classified' means 'not Kushina's business'.

Clearly dissatisfied with her answer, Kushina was tempted to push for more information. But in the end, she could not, realizing that it just wasn't her place to._ 'It's not like they'll actually tell me anything anyway.' _Kushina acknowledged. Deciding to at least get an answer to one of her questions today, she asked her final question.

"I'm gonna ask one more question." Kushina stated to the Hokage.

Hiruzen looked at her expectantly, a hint of wariness in his eyes. She heard Shinosuke breath out a slightly annoyed sigh at her ever-growing nosiness. Kushina tore her eyes from the prone girl she had been looking at and glared at him for a minute, before half-turning to face the Hokage. "That weird, pink-haired girl ..." she began in typical Kushina fashion, gesturing to the girl in front of her. "What's her name?" she asked simply.

Seeing the innocence in her gaze, Hiruzen paused and sighed a little. _'There is no point in keeping it a secret now.' _he conceded. Tuning his gaze to the red-head (who at this point now had a distressed, impatient expression because he was taking so long to answer), he stated the honest truth: "Interesting question, Kushina. And her name, I don't know."

Kushina looked taken aback at this, her mouth twisting into an expression of outrage. "You don't know!? Whaddaya mean you don't know? You're the Hokage! You're supposed to know, -dattebane!" Kushina pointed to the girl. "She's a member of Konoha! It says so on her forehead protecter. How can you _not _know her?! You have to know everyone, -dattebane!" Kushina threw her hands up in the air in her excitement, before resting one on her forehead in exsasperation.

Shinosuke spoke up. "Kushina, he's the Hokage remember? Show a bit more respect towards him. He's your superior in every way and the leader of our village. You've only been a chunin for a year." He reprimanded her, losing his patience for her showing such blatant disrespect. He loved Kushina like a daughter, but she was so argumentive.

Seeing the hard, angry look in his blue eyes that usually held such friendliness and patience, some part of Kushina felt bad. Some part. But the larger part of her was conflicting with his words. _'So what? He's the Hokage, yeah. But he's still just a person. Why should I give him special treatment just because he has higher rank?' _she wondered, genuinely confused. It wasn't like she didn't respect the Third. She did and he was a great and patient man. She could tell that already from the short years she's known. But this was her. It may seem tactless and disrespectful to others, but it never seemed that way to her. _'I'm just me.' _she thought. She liked the way she was and has never been ashamed of herself since _that day_.

While Shinosuke continued to glare at her, trying judge what her answer is with her silence (Kushina concretely refusing to look directly in the eyes), Hiruzen burst out laughing. Both Shinosuke and Kushina stared at him, identical expressions of shock and confusion on their faces. He continued to laugh with mirth, until he regained his composure a minute or two later.

"Hokage ... ?" Shinosuke questioned, greatly perplexed.

Still with an amused expression on his face, he shook his head. "It's nothing to worry about. Kushina has a fighter's spirit and her reckless fearlessness is something to be admired for, not frowned upon. She's truly special." Hiruzen admitted with complete honesty. Truth be told, Kushina's unbiased treatment of him was something entirely new and refreshing. He could never discourage Kushina's forthrightness. It was a very endearing trait to him and just like everyone else in Konoha, she was his family.

Kushina beamed happily at the praise, nodding her head in confidence. _'Completely true.' _she agreed. Not helping herself, she gave Shinosuke a sly, 'I told-you-so' look. Shinosuke looked embarassed at this, noticing Kushina's smug expression directed at him. He sighed helplessly, feeling as he had been wronged somehow.

The atmosphere turned serious again, as Kushina remembered what he had just said about the girl. "So, anyway seriously, what's up? How can you not know her name?" Kushina repeated, a lot more calmer now than she was before.

Hiruzen gazed steadily at her, his expression dead serious. "Yes, well ... " He began, giving a sideways glance at the battered, knocked out teenager besides him. " I don't recognize her at all." he admitted quietly.

Shinosuke showed no surprise, having already been told beforehand. Kushina, on the other hand, looked stunned. Her eyes widened with disbelief, her mouth hanging open. For once the red-head had nothing to say. She was literally speechless. _'He doesn't recognize her ... ? That's impossible.' _Kushina denied, her mind still trying to wrap around what she had just heard come out of his mouth.

Seeing how the usually talkative chunin hadn't said anything yet, Hiruzen continued. " I've never seen her before in my life, in pictures or in person. So this promotes a problem for us." Hiruzen pointed out logically, already considering this young woman a possible spy from rival villages. Possibly Kumo, who were the most hostile against his village.

Kushina finally seemed to put together her thoughts well enough to form coherent words, but all that she came out was: " But she's wearing a Konoha headband ..." Kushina argued weakly, also seeing the possible rebercussions from her rescue of this stranger.

Hiruzen looked pityingly at her, wondering if he should really say this. Shinsuke beat him to it before he did, who seemed just as reluctant. "Kushina-chan. he began gently. " True, she does. This may not be the case but you need to know this. The girl you rescued ... may be a spy." Shinosuke admitted reluctantly. He was almost sure she was, but he couldn't tell that to Kushina. She needed to consider the possiblity, but she also needed consolation. He broke his heart to see her like this.

"No! She's not, -dattebane!" Kushina denied desperately, trying to convince herself they were wrong. She was failing, as her realistic part of her knew the truth in those words.

"We're not sure yet, Kushina. But the possibility is there." Hiruzen said gently.

Guilt flooded through Kushina._' I saved a spy ... I saved a spy that was trying to harm my village.' _Kushina realized, her guilt getting stronger the more she repeated it.

"It's not your fault, Kushina-chan. You couldn't have known and besides-" Shinosuke tried to explain

"I saved a spy! It doesn't matter whether I didn't know or not, -dattebane! The point is, I did it, -dattebane!" Kushina argued, feelings of failure and worthlessness (which was unlike her) consuming her.

The Hokage stopped her emotional rant before she could go any further. "Kushina. It is just a theory we made. Nothing is set in stone. We'll just wait until she wakes up to get true answers." Hiruzen pleaded. "Saying that though, I will assign the ANBU to watch over our patient here until she wakes. Let's not jump to conclusions. Even if she turns out to be a spy, it _will _be taken care of." He stated with conviction, praying that young woman in front of him would stop hating herself for something she had no clue about.

Kushina tried to calm down, wanting to believe he was right. Really, it's wasn't clear on who this girl was. _'But who else could it be?' _Kushina wondered, going back to the negative side of thinking. _'Oh Minato, I wish you were here right now.' _Kushina wished helplessly. He would make her feel better and would stand by her in this.

Seeing some of the guilt recede from her eyes, Hiruzen was relieved. Though her navy orbs were doubting and guilt could still be seen. Putting her hand on the red-head's shoulders in a gesture of comfort. She looked up at him miserably. " You are a great ninja, Kushina. You're caring, gentle, and fearless. You listen and follow your heart which leads you the right way. Those are not traits of weakness. Those are traits of strength. So do not hate yourself for being as kind and selfless of others as you are. That is the most treasured and wonderful ability that you have." Hiruzen said encouragingly.

Kushina looked shell-shocked at such deep words spoken about her. Unshed tears welled up in her eyes as gratitude and fondness for this man swelled up inside her. She couldn't help herself. She hugged him tightly, which he returned. "Thank you." Kushina murmured. She released him. Wiping the tears that she was relieved did not fall, wanting to keep at least some of her dignity she had left. "Thank you both. "

Kushina turned to leave the hospital, her earlier confidence and cheerfulness somewhat returning. "See you guys soon." Kushina said, waving her hand in farewell. Shinosuke watched the self-proclaimed tomboy leave the room, smiling fondly after her. He knew with all his being that every word the Hokage said was true. _'Kushina, you'll grow up to be a beautiful adult and skilled ninja. You'll be a great woman, friend, wife, and mother someday. You may not realize that today ... but you will. And I'll always be proud of you.'_

* * *

**A/N: **I just all around love this chapter XD. The first Kushina-centric chapter so far :P. Writing her character is somewhat hard XD. I'm trying to do her a mixture of Naruto and Sakura's personalities but also her own character :P. If anyone is willing to give suggestions on Kushina's personality, I will gladly listen to what you have to say :). And this is also the first chapter Sakura wasn't a major character(Well unless you count her being unconscious the whole time XD. I don't think any of you should be surprised by that :P). And yes, Kushina has an Iruka XD. Shinosuke who I'm actually very fond of which surprises me :D. I LOVED writing the Third! He's so deep, if he even made poor Kushina almost cry D:! Though the ending of this chapter both touched me and made me want to cry T.T I'm sure you all know why ;)

**Chapter updates will be hosted on Saturdays from now on. Unless I have too much homework XD which will probably happen to me sometimes : P**

**Preview to Next Chapter: **Sakura finally awakes and is faced with old faces and new faces that should be dead. She tries to grasp what happened to her and fix it in any way possible, all the while trying to adjust to this new environment.

_P.S: Minato finally makes an appearance next chapter! :D_

**Reviews are always greatly appreciated :D**


	5. Chapter 5: Aftermath

A/N: Turns out I couldn't really update Saturday XD. Already, huh? Busy day for me yesterday(And also Netflix XD which kept me preoccupied most of the night :P). Anyways, I'm so grateful for all the people that favorite, review, and follow my story. The support means a lot to me :).

**Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto in any way whatsoever. If I did, Haku would have lived, Rin would have a damn backstory after Obito's death, and Sakura would be much stronger and heroine-like than what she is now(Not that she's not at all. I just feel like Kishi could do better :P).**

* * *

Aftermath

Sakura felt some consciousness slowly beginning to return around the dark blackness that had enveloped her. Dull and painful throbbing pulsed through her forehead powerfully, making her wince. Truthfully, her whole body felt deadweight and numb. Not only that but her mind could barely form an actual thought. Sakura could at the moment only register two things. 1. Her body was hurting like hell for some reason and 2. She was resting on a what she assumed was a bed.

As her tired self awakened a bit more slightly than before, she contempleted opening her eyes. At this point, she still hadn't even moved any inch of herself at all. Frankly she was afraid moving would only be more painful. Coming to a conclusion, Sakura finally blinked open her dead, exhausted eyes. A blank, white ceiling was what greeted her. _'Where am I?' _Sakura wondered, conscious enough to finally think of the questions she should have asked herself a long time ago.

Not trusting her physical condition enough to move, she decided to turn her head and look around her surroundings. Sakura swiveled her head slightly to look better at her environment. The action hurt which did not surprise her. Her eyesight was blurry but she able to make out shapes. Not really detailed but shapes. It was a white, plain room. Squinting, she noticed a chair standing near her bed. _'Someone must've been in here.' _Sakura figured.

Slowly her eyes began to go into focus a little. Realization sweeped through her as she finally recognized where she was. It was a hospital. The familar Konoha hospital she often worked at to be exact. Relief was Sakura's inital emotion. She was in a place she knew and a safe place at that. But it was quickly followed by confusion. Sakura frowned in puzzlement, trying to remember what had happened to her to place her in the hospital. _'I was fighting someone ... and ... and ...' . _Her train of that trailed away, her memory incredibly failing her.

As her thoughts continued to evade her, she gave up in trying to grasp at her memory. Truthfully, she couldn't really bring herself to even care about the _'how'_. Right now, the only thing she cared about was sleeping. She still felt exhausted that words couldn't even begin to describe and she couldn't think straight because of it.

She was in a familar, more or less safe place and that's what was important to her right now. _'All I want to do is rest.' _Sakura concluded sleepily, her eyes already falling closed. She fell into a slumber in a matter of minutes, not even registering the silent, watchful presence of the ANBU outside her window.

* * *

Kushina abruptly opened the door to the hospital room, which still contained that weird pink-haired girl she had rescued. She stared inquringly at her unconscious form. Guilt still snawed in her stomach over what could have possibly been a mistake to rescue this stranger. _'She really could be a spy ... but why exactly do I visit her anyway?' _Kushina wondered, half scowling in frustration and confusion. She really didn't understand herself sometimes.

Kushina sighed loudly, the part of her bangs that wasn't held with a hair clip blowing from her face with the force. She stepped quietly to the bed and sat in the black chair she had insisted on bringing in for her to sit down. Kushina stared at the unconscious girl, supporting her own head with her hand under her chin. A ever-present frown marring Kushina's pale complexion. She knew exactly why she visited but it still didn't confuse her any less. Truthfully, she knew it was out of curiousity. She liked sitting in here to think about what would happen once she awoke.

If the woman turned out to be a spy, she would feel even more guilty. But she would deal with the issue if she had to. She'd want to really but the Third had firmly told her they would deal with it if that outcome came to pass. _'I'm still gonna get in a few licks either way though.' _Kushina thought stubbornly, refusing to do nothing. Violence would help ease her guilt. Violence was always a solution to her problems. It never failed her. Kushina smiled happily at that, knowing that beating up the spy would be very fun and satisfying. _'I guess this isn't as bad as I thought. Hope the Third wouldn't mind. I could take a spy down easily.' _Kushina smiled happily, confidence in her skills driving her on. Beating up the spy would _definitely _make her feel better afterwards.

"I know that look. Don't tell me Inoichi was stupid enough to insult you again." A familar, pleasing voice sounded behind her. It sounded amused and faintly worried(for Inoichi's sake she was sure).

Kushina's navy-blue eyes widened in recognition and she whirled around behind her, still sitting in the chair. "Minato." Kushina greeted, trying to make her voice sound nonchalant.

"Kushina." Minato answered back, looking at her with amusement in his blue orbs. He always thought it was cute when she'd try and not care, only for her eyes(which was as open as a book) to betray her. He could see her happiness that he had visited.

Kushina quickly stood up from the chair and faced him, one of her hands still holding the chair unconsciously. " Didn't expect you to be here." Kushina admitted, feeling embarrassed that Minato had caught her in here. Kushina soon after scowled in annoyance as she recalled his first words with _'Inoichi' _in the sentence. "And no. For his sake, Inoichi better keep his mouth shut for once. Unless he wants to get another _painful _beating, -dattebane." Kushina threatened, a demonic light entering her eyes and she clenched her fist.

Seeing the death emitting from the woman he loved, Minato sensed the desire to change the topic. "R-Right." Minato stammered, laughing nervously as he felt fear at Kushina's display of ... scariness. "Inoichi would be signing his own death warrant." Minato agreed. The boy had almost no common sense at times. Most of the village feared Kushina's hot, fiery temper. A pissed off Kushina could kill you. Unfortunately, Minato himself has been hit by Kushina more than once and it was not a experience he ever wanted to relive again.

Kushina made a noise of agreement, still clenching her fist. However, she soon remembered where she was and that Minato had found her here. Taken out of her vengeful, anger-induced haze created by her dislike of Inoichi, Kushina looked at Minato in wariness and slight annoyance. "What are you doing here? How'd you find me?" Kushina asked bluntly, an edge of irritation in her voice. She refused to show Minato her embarrassment.

Minato took no offense by this, too used to her antics to even be annoyed. "It wasn't hard. You've been running off out of nowhere somewhere since a few days ago so I knew you were here." Minato replied casually.

"Well I wasn't here because I care about her, -dattebane. I'm just ... curious. In fact, just a few minutes ago I was thinking about beating up this spy, -dattebane!" Kushina insisted, pointing at the girl. It was a half-truth. She was curious and she would fight her if she turned out to be a spy, but she didn't want to admit she still felt guilty. She was half-convinced Minato already knew.

Minato let out a low chuckle, fondness squeezing his heart directed to the adorable red-head in front of him. "Kushina ... I believe that completely." Minato said in mirth, his blue eyes twinkling.

Kushina narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. "You better not be making fun of me." She grumbled in dissatisfaction. Sure she was a _little _violent but she wasn't that bad was she? _'I'm just ... a little emotional that's all.' _Kushina concluded, clearly in denial.

Minato shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of it, Kushina." he answered earnestly.

Kushina huffed and crossed her arms, hoping she wasn't blushing. "That's what I thought."

Minato walked next to Kushina and stared at the patient in front of him. Right after returning from his misson with Jiraiya-sensei, he was told of everything that had transpired in the time he was gone. He was to put it bluntly shocked about Kushina's solo mission of saving the stranger. He felt pride of his best friend/love's bravery but almost immediately after he felt worry. Not of the spy being a threat. He was fairly certain it could be taken care of easily if the time called for it. But for the red-head in front of him. Minato knew her better than she probably even cared to admit, so he was positive she would hate herself to some extent.

Kushina gave Minato a glance out of the corner of her eye. She didn't like how Minato was looking at her. He had that calm, calculating gaze tinged with a hint of worry. She knew that expression well and she inwardly cursed her luck, knowing exactly what he wanted to say.

"Kushina ..." Minato began seriously, looking concerned.

"What?" she asked warily, hoping he would not say what she knew he wanted to.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know." Minato stated. Judging from her guarded body language, he knew she did not want to discuss this at all. But for once, Minato would not listen. He knew he loved Kushina with all his heart, which is why he would do anything to relieve her doubts.

Kushina stepped back from him, her expression full of frustration. _'Damnit. He never shuts up! I'm always so transparent when it comes to him.' _Kushina thought angrily. She knew Minato only did this because he cared for her. How much exactly, she was afraid to know. But she did not want to show weakness like that in front of him. Her pride wouldn't let her! She was fine, damnit!

"I know, okay? I'm fine. Great even. So let's not talk about this when I don't care anymore, -dattebane." Kushina insisted, flustered. She bit her lip when her verbal tic showed up again. She always hated it when she did that!_' Damnit. That's always a dead giveaway of my feelings, even when I try to be calm!' _Kushina felt anger surge through her. She prayed that someday she would just stop saying Dattebane!

Minato looked unconvinced, especially when her trademark 'Dattebane' slipped up. He knew Kushina all too well. She was nervous and trying to build a wall around how she really felt. That's why she always put on a tough or cheerful front. "Kushina, you and both know you do. I think I know you better than that, after all." he claimed with certainty.

Kushina scowled at him, angry with Minato's know-it-all attitude again, especially when it came to her. But she soon after sighed, the tenseness disappearing from her body as her stubborness was fading. Minato smiled, seeing her self-created wall fall a little.

"Okay ... maybe it bothers me still a little." Kushina forced out the words reluctantly, determined to not let her pride get in the way of telling Minato how she felt right now. It's not like he'd judge. She knows that and the only thing he ever offers her is support. But still ... she didn't like showing weakness such as crying or guilt, especially to Minato. It was a rarity for her to actually do so, only when she was especially worked up. Like her encounter with the Hokage and Shinosuke for example.

Minato did not show smugness or satisfaction at having been right(Which she was grateful for. Otherwise she'd pummel him so hard he wouldn't even remember who did it.), only typical Minato concern. "I knew it. You haven't been acting your usual self lately. It would have probably fooled others but not me. Third Hokage was right, Kushina." Minato closed his eyes for a second and smiled. "You were just being you and there's nothing wrong with that. You shouldn't feel guilty." he reassured her.

Kushina rubbed her arm unconsciously, a gesture of nervousness. "Hah! I know that, dummy." Kushina countered, a smile tugging at her lips. " But I can't change how I feel about it completely. I'm a lot better than before which I think is all you can expect of me." she said seriously, slight guilt still showing in her eyes.

"Well then, that's good enough for now. I wouldn't expect it any other way." Minato confessed. He paused for a second, chosing his words carefully. Should he say it? _'No. For all my confidence, I can't tell her how I feel. I'm not ready.' _he felt slight frustration at that thought, but he didn't let it show.

"Kushina." Minato said.

"What?" Kushina asked, her navy eyes round with curiousity.

"I'm not surprised you feel that way. You're the most kind-hearted and amazing person I've ever met. You care much more than you let on." Minato said with sincerity, knowing that's the closest he can get to admitting he loved her at the moment.

Much to Minato's amusement(and her mortification), Kushina blushed at Minato's sweet and earnest words. For a moment, she stood there, not trusting her words enough to make out something smart or smooth. In the end, she settled on one word. "I-Idiot." Kushina studdered out. _"That's works, I guess.' _Kushina concluded, satisfied. Using one of her favorite words like 'Idiot' seemed to work for any situation.

Minato laughed a little, taking no offense by that word. He knew she didn't mean it and was only saying it to cover up her embarrassment. Kushina glared at him again, not sure who she was annoyed with: him or herself.

"So, how much longer will she be incapicitated?" Minato asked, gesturing to the pink-haired girl. Kushina started at that, confused by the sudden change of topic. She also hated it when he did that so unexpectedly. Nevertheless, Kushina answered his question. "Probably soon. She's been out for about 5 days. Shouldn't take her much longer and then we'll finally have an answer."

Minato nodded, his own curiousity strong as well. He frowned in thought, going over the information he had been told of the current situation. She was a unknown girl who looked about 16 just like him and had arrived injured and near-death from some kind of battle. He recalled that she was wearing a ninja headband that symbolized 'Konoha'. Minato's frown deepened as he remembered that part. The obvious conclusion was that she was a spy from another village. But for some reason, Minato doubted that. Something strange had happened here and he couldn't put his finger on it.

"What's up with you?" Kushina asked, noting his sudden lapse of silence and calculating expression. This showed her that Minato was thinking and going over possible options. Minato thinking was a sight to see and she wanted to know what exactly was going on in his head. She hated it when he didn't tell her.

Minato blinked, startled as if momentarily forgetting she was there. He was quiet for a bit but decided to express it to Kushina. Who knows? It might make her feel better.

"It's just this situation we're in is a odd one." Minato began.

"Wait, 1. You mean the one _I'm _in" Kushina argued snootily " And 2. Tell me about it." Kushina said the last part in resigned discomfort. She was certain Minato had much more to say on the matter. He always did but she could not stop herself from speaking up.

"What I mean is, none of it doesn't add up." Minato admitted. Seeing Kushina's expression(mixed half with irritation and half with unexplainible curiousity), he carried on. "From what I've heard, no one knows her and she just suddenly appears in a forest. Of course, being a spy is the first explanation. However, she was ... injuried. It indicates she may have been discovered by someone." Minato said, his intellectual brain putting all of the pieces together. "Both of us know that someone was not from our village."

Kushina stared at him with wide eyes. "You're right, Minato. But that doesn't mean she's not a spy at all." She reasoned, trying to be logical despite the hope that was blooming in her chest at his calm assessment..

"True, it doesn't. But who would attack her? That remains unanswered." Minato ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair, trying to go over everything at once. "It's just ... something's not right here. I don't know why but I have a feeling that what we're dealing with is not as simple as a spy from the Cloud." Minato finally finished, feeling terribly confused.

Kushina said nothing for once, thinking of everything he had just said. He was right. It _was _strange. Hope and relief build up a lot more inside her than before, but she refused to be completely swayed by it. She needed to be realistic here and it was entirely possible Minato's theory was wrong. She needed to see that and not be clouded over with idealism. That was a flaw in the ninja world at times. There was only reality.

"As true as your words are, we aren't sure of anything yet. We'll just have to stop making guesses that will get us no where and wait for Pinky to wake up. Maybe tommorrow. Who knows." Kushina stated straightforwardly.

Minato mumbled a agreement, seeing the truth in her honest words. But still ... he could not shake that nagging suspicion in the back of his mind. _'What is the meaning of all this?' _Minato wondered, utterly lost.

"Well, let's leave this _hellhole_ of a hospital already." Kushina called to him loudly, disgust emphasised on the word 'hellhole', again reminding him of her odd hatred towards hospitals. "Let's go out and eat somewhere. I would really like some salt ramen right about now." Kushina admitted. She desperately wanted to eat her favorite food. There was actually never a time she _didn't _want it if she was honest.

"You always want ramen." Minato said, obviously entertained by the red-head in front of him.

"It's an addiction." Kushina quipped light-heartedly, her beautiful dark blue eyes sparkling.

Minato shook his head. "Cheerful as alway." he said teasingly

Kushina mock glared at him. "Whatever! Let's just go already. I wanna leave." Kushina pulled Minato's hand(an action that both surprised and pleased him) before bulldozing towards the door, dragging him along with her before hearing his reply. With a smile curving at his lips, Minato let her pull him out of the room.

* * *

*_The Next Day_*

Finally, Sakura felt the comforting blackness of sleep leave her. She opened her eyes right away, to see she was in a white room. _'Where am I again?' _Sakura asked herself. _'Oh hospital. Right.'_ Sakura remembered soon after, recalling her seriously hazy short period of consciousness. Feeling a bit more alive than the last time, she braced herself and tried to sit up. The motion made her muscles scream in pain, but she forced herself into a fully upright position.

Her mind tried to catch up with her, which was still slightly unclear. _'Probably from sleeping and pain.' _Sakura assessed, noting how stiff her body felt at the moment. Part of it was because of how she ached in her whole being but it also implied she was sitting in the same postion. _'Days I'm guessing. What the hell happened to me?' _Sakura wondered in confusion.

This did not last long. Her memory returned to her with a vengenceance. _'Oh no! Madara! He ... appeared to me during my mission Lady Tsunade sent me on. He fought me and ...' _Sakura's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. _'He took the scroll! He took it because I was too weak to protect it. I failed!' _Guilt overwelmed her at the realization, which seemed to be like her second nature lately. Of all the times, Madara had to find _HER _when she had the secrets about him in her possession. _'Why? Why me?' _Sakura thought in hopelessness. She knew she would have lost either way. There was no point beating herself up over that. But she should've had at least kept the scroll from him. Because of her failure to act quickly enough, it's now in the enemy's hands.

Forcing herself to stop hating herself for once second, she looked around. She was of course in Konoha hospital. She had no idea how but she guessed Madara had not killed her for whatever reason. _'Maybe because I wasn't worth his time?' _Sakura theorized and a mixture of anger and relief hit her. Part of her was angry that he had been so arrogant and full of himself to dismiss her(even if she was nothing compared to him) but her relief was because she was still alive. _'I'm guessing someone from Konoha found me and brought me here. But what in the world was that white light?' _Sakura felt confusion at that and could not place what that was. But it didn't matter. She needed to find Tsunade and get the details from her. She'll help.

Every part of her body hurt and the slightest movement caused it to hurt more. _'That bastard ... he really did beat the hell outta me.' _Sakura acknowledged angrily. Despite the pain, she found the strength to get off the bed. She did it slowly but she eventually had her feet on the ground. Sakura paused for a minute, closing her eyes against how tiring that action was.

Mustering up her courage and strength, Sakura dared herself to stand. She was proud of herself as she managed it, but it was quickly squashed as her legs buckled beneath her. Making a startled sound in her throat, she grabbed the nearest thing to her which turned out to be the same chair she had spotted earlier. Sighing in relief that she had saved herself from a even more painful fall to the floor, she felt fury at the man that had put her in this position. _'He'll pay for this. I don't know how but he'll pay!' _Sakura snarled.

After about five minutes of just standing there, Sakura attempted to walk. To her satisfaction, her limbs were working and she could actually move. Not to say it was pain-free but she could pull it off. "Just walk slowly, Sakura ... walk slowly." She said out loud, moving on wobbly legs that felt like lead. It was painfully slow. Much slower than she preferred but she reached the door and tried to pull it open.

She would have succeded but just as her hand fell on the handle, a loud crash reached her ears. Startled, Sakura turned to see 3 ANBU guards land in the small room. Before she could question what was wrong as she had saw no threat in this room at all, they rushed her. Sakura tried to move and dodge but her wounded body would not react quick enough. They grabbed her arms with a vice-like grip that was incredibly painful to her weak self.

Feeling fury and confusion warring within her, Sakura tried to struggle. "What is the meaning of this?! I'm Sakura, a Leaf shinobi. Apprenticed to the Hokage. Get your hands off me!" Sakura snapped, angry that these ANBU did not recognize her.

One of them, the one with the bird mask answered her. "Shut up. Enough lies. A spy like you should just be quiet while we see the Hokage. He'll know what to do with you." He shot back, having enough of this girl trying to lie her way through their village. They're ANBU! Like they'd fall for that.

Sakura's emerald eyes gleamed dangerously. "What the hell is wrong with you! I live here, dumbass. You're-" Before any colorful profanity and insults could escape her lips, her train of thought halted. _'He?' _Sakura felt her mind froze in dread. Tsunade was the Hokage! What had happened while she was knocked out?

The ANBU roughly led her out of the room, taking her to the Hokage at once. Sakura allowed them for a second, still feeling in a daze. Finally drawing the will to voice her thoughts, she struggled again. "There must be some mistake here. Tsunade's the Hokage. She would ..." Sakura trailed off when she saw that the ANBU had paused in what she assumed was surprise or annoyance. She couldn't tell with there masks.

The one with the cat mask spoke up, his voice filled with distrust. " Princess Tsunade is NOT the Hokage. She would die before accepting such a job. Now shut up." She snapped, pushing her so they could lead her to the Third Hokage.

Sakura had never felt more confused in her whole life. None of this made sense to her. But before she could say anything else that she was determined to say, Sakura froze. Every single thought was erased in her mind, replaced with all consuming horror and dread. She had been outside the building by now, catching sight of the familar Kage Stone faces. Except there was some major flaws to it than how it was when she left.

_'Lady Tsunade's face ... and even the Fourth ... they're not there! How can that be?' _Sakura could not believe the sight in front of her. It was impossible. _'It's wrong! It can't be. Please don't tell me I'm in the past ... it's an impossible jutsu!' _

* * *

**A/N: **Now I know I keep saying Sakura will find out about her being in the past, which **DID** happen here :P so I'm not completely disappointing you guys right? But I know you guys want to see Sakura's complete reaction once she sees Minato, Kushina, and The Third. Which **will definitely happen next chapter. **I pray none of you are that pissed off at me for this cliff-hanger or the fact that she didn't meet Kushina yet. I apologize XD. But anyway, I loved writing the MinaKushi moments :D. It was nice XD. And my absolute favorite part of the whole chapter was Minato's intellectual moment. He's such a smart person isn't he? :D

Again, a thousand apologies to those of you who are disappointed in this chapter. I'll make it up to you Saturday promise ;P

**Reviews are always wonderful to read in the morning :D and I deeply apreciate it.**


	6. Chapter 6: Fateful Meetings

**A/N: **Finally, the chapter I promised last week that would have Sakura meet Minato and Kushina :D. At last, right XD. Read on for more of Sakura's reaction to the past ... Below ;P

**On a side note, thank you for the 30-something reviews XD. I've never expected my first fanfic idea to be this popular :D.**

**Disclaimer: I don't and never will own the amazing manga/anime of Naruto. But if did, Itachi so wouldn't have died, Hinata's character would almost completely change(minus the quiet and shy part), and Naruto would have a bad ass female villain(Notice how they're all guys? :D).**

_Love me some constructive critizism if you see any! :)_

* * *

Fateful Meetings

Instead of her mind being on overdrive(like it had been barely a few moments before), it became a blank slate. No coherent thought could form, even if she tried. The Hokage mountain appeared so startlingly different, her brain was completely paralyzed in mind-numbing shock. This was impossible. It had to be. Only a not-so-gentle shove from behind her woke her frazzled mind.

"Enough! You're delaying us too much. We're seeing the Hokage." The Bird-masked ANBU ordered in impatience and irritation. This spy had to be delusional. Or mentally ill. Why would the pinkette look so stunned to see the Kage faces? _'I'm worried we'll even get any answers or information out of her. She could be completely insane.' _He thought realistically, shaking his head at the inconvience of it all.

Sakura looked at the ANBU still dragging her along, her emerald eyes stretched with confusion and faint horror. This time, she let them lead her towards the Hokage building, the fight draining from her exhausted body almost as if it was never there. She walked with them, not even really feeling she was moving. _'Don't jump to conclusions, Sakura. Maybe you're dreaming. That's it. Or the village was attacked again which is why ...' _Terror and anxiety pierced through her, horrifed at her 2nd theory. She'd rather believe the time-travel one, not that nightmare.

Sakura frowned, trying to observe her surroundings. It was impossible, yet it lay right before her eyes. One thing was for sure: She was in Konoha, but not the Konoha she knew. The mountain faces were an indication, but that's not all of it. The village was perfectly intact. The way it had been before Pain's invasion. No gigantic tents, not even the almost-finished buildings. Sakura mentally facepalmed at her stupidness, wondering why she was just realizing this now. _'Stupid. Pay more attention instead of panicking.' _Sakura chastied, annoyed.

The Boar-masked ANBU(who hadn't even spoken to her once) noticed the young woman's searching gaze. Filled with suspicion and annoyance, he snapped at her gruffly. "Stop wandering, spy! We're almost there."

Sakura blanched at that and conceded to the demand, ignoring the rebuff that was burning on her tongue. Their distrust and treatment of her greatly annoyed her but it wasn't unreasonable. She was a unfamilar stranger and they were under the logical conclusion of her being a spy from a rival village. Not some 16-year old from the future who has no clue how she ended up here. Hell, it sounded impossible and ridiculous even to her. Why try and defend herself?

Sakura's brow furrowed in concentration, trying to ignore the firm and painful grip on her arms and shoulders. _'As much as I'd love this to be a dream, it isn't. It's too real to be a dream. The pain for one. I could never even imagine something as weird and ... oddly specific as this.'_ She sighed inwardly. She's had some weird, nonsensical dreams before but this was one thing she could never imagine up. Being the realistic person she was, she knew from the beginning this wasn't a dream. She just wanted to believe it was. Suddenly, a light went on inside her brain. _' Wait a minute ... maybe I'm not in the past. Not actually, anyway. This could be ... a genjutsu. That's it!' _ Sakura's eyes widened in realization. It made so much sense now. Her opponent was Madara, famed worldwide for his terrifying and powerful genjutsu. Naturally, being an Uchiha gave him that advantage. So that's what he must've done to her. Used his eyes and that's what created the blinding, painful white light ...

_'Still, I've never heard of a genjutsu that created an illusion of the past.' _Sakura bit her lip. _'It's not impossible though. With Madara and genjutsu, it's a very unpredictable combination. It's definitely not above him to actually do it.' _Madara is one of the most powerful shinobi of all time. Sakura knew he could probably pull it off easily. But still, that didn't explain why she was still alive. _'Maybe his arrogance got the better of him.' _Sakura thought, a slight smirk on her face. Serves him right!

"We're here." Bird-masked ANBU interrupted impassively. Sakura broke out of her jumbled musings at the sound of his voice, now seeing the familar building in front of her. Slight worry and anxiety warred within her. She would have to face the Third and explain herself ... honestly. It was not an event she was truly looking forward to. But then she remembered something. Third Hokage was a peaceful and open-minded man. If she explained herself properly, he may believe her. Maybe even help her find her way back home.

Sakura smiled, suddenly a bit more confident now. With the ANBU still holding her like a prisoner, she stepped into the building. _'Maybe this isn't completely horrible. It's be nice seeing the old man again.' _Sakura admitted.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hiruzen was deep in his thoughts. The center of this thoughts being on none other than the pink-haired teen. Minato had brought up an interesting theory earlier that day. The young 16-year old Jonin had visited him today and exchanged his doubts over the young woman. The possibilty that she may not be a spy. _'There is some truth to what he theorized. I've been doubting it myself. Not surprising that a genuis like Minato would think the same.' _Hiruzen sighed. _'But it's still assumptions nonetheless. Minato has always had a tendency to be idealistic.' _Minato was truly a wonder to him. Becoming Jonin at 15. It was impressive indeed and he had the serious air of someone twice his age. His insight was much appreciated to him. At times, he almost believed him to be his successor. But Orochimaru was another promising canidate.

Hiruzen had ceased from looking out the window, turning to sit in his big chair near his desk. Looking at his leftover paperwork(somehow most of it had been done, despite his slight distraction lately), he took out his stamp and writing utensil. _'Better finish this all off. It's important.' _ Hiruzen conceded, forcing himself to continue this grueling and tedious process.

* * *

Reaching the door quickly, the ANBU knocked on it. The action surprised Sakura for a second. She didn't think they'd bother to politely knock in a situation like this. Saying that though, it's the Hokage. Respectful actions were kind of a given, no matter the situation.

"Come in!" shouted a voice behind the door. Hearing the familar rasp in a man sounding voice, Sakura remembered it immediately. Nostalgia and happiness surged inside her. She missed that kind man.

Without an hesitation, they opened the door. Out of habit, she almost expected to see Tsunade in there. A full bottle of sake near her, passed out cold from a hangover with her paperwork all over the place, usually unfinished. Or better yet, her never ceasing complaints about said paperwork while most of it buried her desk. Tsunade's slow pace when it came to paperwork was always her fault, due to her reluctance to ever get it done. And she always wondered why the paperwork never seemed to go away. Her master's carelessness and occassional irresponsiblity at 54 never ceased to amaze her.

So the sight she was greeted with was definitely foreign, despite knowing full well Tsunade wasn't the Fifth Hokage yet in this time period. The Third in his dull red-and-white clothes(Which Tsunade deemed unfashinable the moment someone tried to force her to wear it. Not wanting to be beaten to death, they agreed), writing and working dilligently on his work, eyes completely focused on it.

" Lord Hokage. The spy has woken up." Cat-masked ANBU spoke up, her voice quiet and restrained.

"Ah yes. I heard she would end up waking up sometime soon." Hiruzen said flippantly, still not looking up from his paperwork.

"Anyway, she's here. Do with her as you see fit." Boar-masked guy said politely.

In the midst of this conversation, Sakura could only stare at the man who died 4 years ago. He looked signifigantly younger than she remembered, his still pointed hair now a dull brown instead of grayish-light cream color it had been. The only thing that remained the same was his gray eyes and usual red-and-white robes._ 'Kami, I must've been send back far.' _Sakura thought, feeling a bit of her headache from earlier returning.

Finally the Third looked up, his stormy, wise eyes looking over each of them in turn before resting on Sakura. "For a spy, you don't seem very scared." Hiruzen noted in surprise, seeing this girl's lack of panic and defiance in her emerald gaze. The only emotion he could see clearly was confusion, surprise, and slight anxiety. _'Odd ...' _Third Hokage mused.

Now realizing that the Third was addressing her, Sakura abruptly ceased her open staring. "W-Well ..." Sakura studdered, still trying to get over the fact that she was literally talking to a dead man. Well ... future dead man.

"This spy is strange by herself. She claimed she was apprenticed to the Hokage and that she lived here. Among other odd things that had to be lies." Bird-masked guy informed, his voice filled with contempt.

Hiruzen looked shocked at this. Why would a caught spy such things? He had no apprentice at the moment. His students Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were made Jonins long ago. They even had their own students now. And he'd think he would remember if this young girl was. "I have no apprentice." Hiruzen stated the obvious, shaking his head.

Sakura felt embarassment rush through her, wishing she hadn't said those thing earlier. But in her defense, she had no idea she wasn't in her Konoha. _'But then again, I should have noticed earlier.' _Sakura resisted to urge to slap her forehead, as that action would only direct even more attention to herself. _'They must think I'm crazy!'_

"We know that all too well. This spy must either be delirious or stupid." Cat-masked ANBU stated bluntly.

Anger surged through Sakura and her thin strand of patience broke. Finding her strength again, she slapped their loosened grip from her shoulders and arms. "Okay, that's it! I'm not _stupid _or crazy!" Sakura said vehemently. "And I'm not a spy from any other village either." Sakura reiterated, sensing the ANBU were about to say something before she was finished.

"Then who the hell are you?" Boar-masked ANBU asked in restrained fury, annoyed with this kunoichi finally speaking up. He could already see the outspoken and volatile nature in his woman.

Sakura paused for a second, wondering what she should do next. She knew she had to tell the truth. It was the only way they could trust her and she needed to find a way home immediately. _' I don't know what jutsu he used and I have no idea how to get home. I can't do this on my own, as much as I want to.' _Sakura breathed in, preparing herself for what she was about to say.

"I'm not an enemy." Sakura began. "I'm no threat to your village. I know you don't have any reason to trust me but it's the truth." Sakura stopped momentarily, before continuing. Looking directly at the Third, she said calmly. " I'm a medic-nin from Konoha."

"Impossible! I would have recognized you if your were." Hiruzen claimed, confusion and puzzlement attacking him inside. Th ANBU said nothing, leaning against the back of the wall but each of them felt as confused as the Hokage currently was.

Sakura smiled weakly. _'I knew this wasn't going to be easy from the start. Oh, well.' _ "See, that's when things get confusing. I AM a medical ninja and this is my home but ... not the home I know." Sakura finished uneasily, praying he would believe her.

Hiruzen took on a intrigued expression but it still held puzzlement. "You couldn't possibly be refering to time-travel? It's impossible. No ninja could learn how to do it. It's an impossible jutsu." Third Hokage claimed. There was no known record of that being possible. _'But it may not be as impossible as I think ... anything can happen. Those injuries were incredibly unique ...'_

"You're telling me." Sakura muttered. The Hokage had echoed her exact thoughts when she had first realized this. "But, somehow, it happened. All I know is that I was on a misson for the 5th Hokage, got attacked, and next thing I know I find myself here." Sakura said, gesturing to the room in a sweeping motion with her arm.

"You can't possibly believe this! She must be insane. No one could do such a jutsu to my knowlege." Cat-masked ANBU argued, her voice thick with disbelief.

Sakura glared at the ANBU, annoyed with the barbed insult once again. " I am _not _insane." She said indignantly. " And I thought the exact same but look, I'm here." She said pointedly. _'I'm really not in the mood for this. Why can't they just believe me?'_

"Fifth, eh?" Hiruzen questioned, smiling a little. "You must be from the future then. Nice to know the village lasted long enough to make five kages."

Sakura nodded, feeling sad that the old man had to die against Orochimaru. It happened years ago but the memory still felt fresh to her. Recalling his other words, Sakura grimaced at the state of the village currently. _'Barely though. The village almost got completely destroyed against Pain. If it wasn't for Naruto, it would be gone right now.' _Sakura thought, remember her sense of hopelessness when Pain had demolished everything. _'But I can't tell him that. If I do, the future might change in ways it shouldn't have.' _Sakura forced herself not to, recognizing the risk.

"Those injuries she sustained were abnormal. The work of a jutsu but not any jutsu I've heard." Hiruznen responded to the ANBU. " Not to mention those strange circumstances I discussed with Minato. I shared the same doubts and it turns out, young as he is, that he was right." Third Hokage affirmed firmly. "Even if we are wrong, I am certain this girl is no threat."

* * *

"MINATO!?" Sakura blurted out loudly, unable to stop herself. _'That's the Fourth Hokage's name! The one who saved the village from the Nine-tails! He's alive, too?!' _Sakura realized, completely taken aback. Her mind was on complete overload. She could barely deal with the shock of the Third being alive, and now this too? '_Ugh. I REALLY need a rest.' _Sakura grumbled inwardly, her headache painfully returning full-force.

The Hokage gave her an odd look, noticing the complete shock in her voice when she had asked about one of his top Jonin. " Yes. Minato, one of my best Jonin. His friend Kushina had found you passed out in the Konoha forest while out training I believe." Hiruzen informed her, still not understanding her over-the-top reaction.

Seeing the confused look her was giving her, Sakura flushed with embarassment. "Ahem. R-Right ... so I was rescued?" Sakura queried, trying to pretend her outburst never happened. Besides, she was genuinely curious.

"That's right. Kushina, a young 16-year old chunin found you and dropped you off at the hospital. She saved your life. Any sooner and you most likely wouldn't be here." The Hokage told her, happy that Kushina had not saved a spy. _'She'd be estatic by this news.' _Hirzuen thought in amusement, picturing the rambuctious red-head's delight.

"Oh. I should thank her." Sakura said sincerely, gratitude for the kunoichi's kindness. She hadn't even known her and she had saved her. _' My wounds were that bad?' _She wondered, moving her shoulders a bit. The action caused her to wince in the pain that she had almost forgotten about. _'I believe it.' _Sakura thought firmly, her anger towards Madara returning.

"You will very soon. She'll want to know if you're alright." Hiruzen said good-naturedly. Turning to the ANBU, he ordered. "Fetch Kushina. Minato as well. Send them here."

"But-" All three of the ANBU protested, wanting to stay.

"This kunoichi is not our enemy. You are not needed here any longer." Hiruzen said bluntly.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." They said reluctantly, before disappearing into thin air in a matter of seconds.

Sakura felt relief hit her, glad that the ANBU had gone off. There distrustful presence had been hard to ignore the entire time.

"I never had the chance to ask you. What's your name, young medic-nin?" Hiruzen asked kindly.

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Sakura realized, embarassed at that. "Um, Sakura. Sakura Haruno." She said, bowing towards him in respect.

"Nice to meet a future member of Konoha, Sakura." He said. Taking on a more serious expression, he asked "Sakura, do you remember what transpired? Who attacked you? What kind of jutsu did he use? I need to know the answer to these questions if I am to find a way to bring you back to your time."

Sakura felt dread hit her stomach. She knew he would ask this. _'Should I tell him about Madara? I want to but what if this changes the future? I shouldn't tell him. Not yet anyways unless I absolutely have to.' " _I'm not really sure. He was ... wearing a mask so I couldn't tell." Sakura lied. "And as for the other question ..." Sakura trailed away, trying to remember what he had said to her. _'Damnit! I can't remember right now! That pain made me block it out.' _Sakura realized in frustration. "I don't remember exactly. Only that he said something, his eye activated the jutsu, and then a blinding white light." Sakura replied honestly.

"Eye?" Hiruzen prompted, surprised.

Sakura cursed at her mistake of bringing up Madara's Sharingan. _'Great. I guess I can tell him a little, if it'll help me return to my Konoha.' _Sakura thought, realizing that The Third might lose his trust in her if she kept hedging everything, on purpose or not. "He was ... an Uchiha I think. He activated his jutsu with the Sharingan." Sakura admitted, trying to judge his reaction.

Hiruzen sighed heavily, disturbed at this information. The Uchiha Clan had always been a bit shady in Konoha, so her answer didn't surprise him. That's what bothered him. _'Not all of the Uchiha Clan is bad ... I want to believe in that and give them a chance.' _Hiruzen then looked at the curious face of the pinkette. "The Uchiha Clan is a talented one. Full of powerful members and kekkei genkais. When I think it over, it's not surprising one of them were able to figure out a time-travel jutsu." He replied despondantly, feeling disapointment well up inside him.

Sakura nodded, recalling how powerful Madara had been. She couldn't even land a hit on him. _'No one could, not even Naruto or Kakashi-sensei. But that doesn't mean he's invincible. He'll be beat .. and I'll be there to see it happen!' _Sakura resolved, her trademark determination giving her confidence. She hated him with every fiber of her being. _'I'll get out of this time-travel jutsu, reunite with Naruto and the others, and help Naruto beat him!' _She would. There was in way in hell she wasn't going to play a part in fighting him. Not even Naruto was going to stop her.

"But the fact that you don't remember the name of the jutsu does create a problem." Third Hokage continued. Sakura focused her attention on him again, trying to calm herself after her 'fired-up' moment. Guilt niggled in her at that, knowing how true that was. Noticing her guilty expression, he reiterated "But the the white light you mentioned as well as the pattern of your wounds is a good start. You'll likely remember it's name with time." He reassured her, determined to send Sakura back home.

Sakura nodded. _'Hopefully. But I can't be here forever. Lady Tsunade and my parents would be worried sick. Naruto too if he finds out what happened to me ...' _That thought made her need to go home even stronger. Her friends and family needed to know she was alright. _'They probably think I'm MIA by now!' _Horror at that realization, Sakura turned to Hiruzen. "I know this is probably gonna be hard but I can't stay here for too long. My teachers, friends, and family don't even know what happened to me!" She exclaimed in horror, worry and guilt tightening her insides.

"True, Sakura. You don't belong here. Even though you're in the same village, it still feels like you lost everything." Hiruzen said gently, understanding completely. "I've never had to deal with such a thing before, but I won't rest until I find the key to sending you home." He said genuinely, sympathy for the lost kunoichi hitting him..

"Thank you so much, Third Hokage. I can't thank you enough." Sakura gushed, feeling so glad for the support and effort he was making for her. She really did miss him. He was always so kind and understanding to everyone, even her. This proved that through the years, that aspect of the man in front of her had never once changed.

"It's my pleasure. You're a Konoha shinobi so that makes you my responsibility." Hiruzen claimed. A smile curved his lips. "No matter what time period they come from." He finished, realizing with amusment how odd that sentence sounded to him.

Sakura giggled a little. "Right!" Sakura agreed happily. _'Hopefully this will all go well!'_

* * *

"Minato!" A rough voice reached Minato's ears and he turned to see three ANBU standing right behind him. All of them looked tense and somewhat gloomy. Though he couldn't tell completely, due to their face being covered.

"Yes, what is it?" Minato asked, a confused frown on his face. The ANBU didn't usually seek him out very much, so this occassion seemed strange to him.

"The pink-haired girl that was rescued a few days ago woke up today. Turns out a lot more was going on then just a average, run-of-the mill spy from the Cloud village." Bird-masked ANBU informed him, not really feeling the need to explain the ridiculous "girl from the future" thing that the Hokage had believed so easily.

To their surprise, Minato nodded thoughtfully. "I thought something strange was going on here." He assessed, remembering from what Kushina told him, she was supposed to wake up today. "Is she really a spy?" He asked, giving in to the urge to ask. He wanted to know, hoping that Kushina could finally have an answer.

"From what the girl and the Hokage say, no. It seems to be a different thing entirely." Boar-masked ANBU answered, also not really wanting to explain it, feeling too tired to explain the whole thing.

Minato let out a breath of relief that did not go unnoticed by the ANBU. _'That's great news. Kushina won't have to feel guilty or take out her emotions on anyone else.' _Minato realized, not really having the desire to have to pull Kushina off someone in the midst of her violent outbursts. He'd had enough of that the past few days following the girl's rescue. She was becoming even more testy than usual.

At the thought of Kushina, Minato asked. "That's great but why come to me? Shouldn't Kushina know this?"

"Yes. The Hokage wants you and Kushina to come to his office immediately. You'll be filled in there and see the girl." Bird-masked ANBU said.

"Right. I'll go and find Kushina. She's probably training." Minato replied. He turned around and ran off to Kushina's usual training spot, without even so much as a glance towards the ANBU who disappeared soon after.

* * *

Minato reached her area in a short amount of time, finally stopping at the Training Field. What he saw in front of him made Minato stop in his tracks, dismay, tiredness, and reluctance hitting him.

As expected, Kushina was there. She had ninja stars scattered on a tree where she had been practicing her throwing, just to not lose her edge in her aim despite being a Chunin. But that's not what bothered him. He could clearly see Kushina holding a boy by his collar lying on the ground and one of her fists were raised. He couldn't make out everything from a distance but by the mop of light brown hair, he could see it was Inoichi. _'Fool. He should've known better than to come and antagonize Kushina. Especially at a time like this.' _Minato sighed. Kushina was spitting venom at Inoichi who was now trembling on the grass. Not finding it in him to watch how this scene would end, Minato scurried quickly in the direction of them.

Minato stopped when he got close enough. Kushina, in her angry, demonic state of mind, was oblivious to this. He could now clearly hear Kushina's profanity-insults and see Inoichi's injuries from Kushina ... again.

"Who the hell do you think you are! No one calls me tomato unless they want to get killed. Bastard!" Kushina retorted, her nerves already frayed by her rescue of the spy. _'Asshole! He chose the wrong day to mess with me.' _Kushina could feel her fury and desire to pummel still not subsiding. "Which I guess is what you want, today right -dattebane?" Her sentence was much more quiet and overly sweet. This only served to frightened Inoichi more. Even Minato, who remained unnoticed, looked terrified.

"N-No Kushina! I swear, I'm sorry." Inoichi stammered, hoping the fiery red-head would calm down.

"Yeah, yeah. No, you're not. You're just saying that 'cause you're scared! How many times do we go through this? I'm the Red Habernero, dattebane! And don't you forget it! I'm gonna beat you now, dattebane." Kushina stated, swinging her fist at him.

"Kushina, stop!" Minato pleaded, catching her fist before it could make impact. Inoichi looked immensely relieved at this.

Kushina felt surpise pulse through her. _'Minato, what's he doing here? And more importantly, why is he stopping me!?' _Kushina questioned. "Let go, Minato. He deserves it, dattebane." Kushina growled.

"No, Kushina. You already beat him enough. Inoichi may be a jerk but he doesn't deserve any more punches." Minato stated, carefully hiding his fear of her turning her temper on him.

"Yeah! What he said!" Inoichi agreed from the ground.

Minato and Kushina glared at him. "Shut up." They both said.

Kushina struggled out of Minato's grip. "I said let go! You're ruining my venting, dattebane!" Kushina said stubbornly. When Minato made on effort to let go, a deceptive idea hit her. She forced herself to relax and as expected in his relief, Minato let go. But he soon regretted it. Kushina turned around and punched him, making it clear she was in no way calm and that she was now angry at him.

Once he flew a several feet due to the force of her punch, Kushina put her hands on her hips, looking in no way regretful. Seeing her distraction, Inoichi tried to crawl away from the terrifying red-head.

Kushina glared at Minato's form on the ground, her navy-blue eyes still bubbling with suppressed anger. "How many times have I told you, Minato?! Stop trying to interfere in my fights, dattebane!" Kushina growled at him. _'He always does that and look what it gets him. A punch from me. He's such a goody-goody.' _She huffed in irritation.

Minato(who was now getting up and nursing the bruise on his cheek) was not surprised by his fiery love's hit on him. It wasn't the first time she's hit him before and it certainly wouldn't be the last, no matter how much that thought scared him. "No offense, but it looked more like a merciless beating. Not a fair fight." He replied honestly, almost expecting another punch from his friend.

"Same thing!" Kushina retorted, despite knowing full well that it wasn't. "Either way, you should stay out of it." Kushina scowled at him. "Why are you here anyways?"

"The Hokage wants us to see him. Remember that girl you rescued? She's awake now." Minato informed her.

"She is!" Kushina said loudly, immediately forgetting her anger. She would finally have an answer to all her questions! "Is she a spy? Did I rescue a spy? Tell me, dattebane!" Kushina fired questions at him in a rush, talking fast as usual.

Minato smiled at her in amusement before shaking his head. "No, she's not a spy. But she does have her own story to tell. We should go and see her at the Hokage's office." Minato told her.

"Right! We should. Thank Kami she's not a spy, dattebane!" Kushina exclaimed in undisguised relief. But her curiousity remained. _'Finally, some answers! I can't wait to see Pinky!' _Kushina felt excitement over this revelation. During this, Inoichi continued to crawl away, almost reaching a safe distance between them. Unfortunately for him, Kushina finally noticed his escape.

She glared at his retreating form. "And you!" She shouted angrily, pointing at him, causing Inoichi to freeze in fear. "Don't think this is over! You better hope you don't see me anytime soon. Otherwise you'll regret it, -dattebane! Coward!" Kushina taunted him. Inoichi moved even quicker then before, ignoring his injuries as best he could.

Minato sighed, his own cheek still stinging. _'Always have to have the last word.' _Minato noted in resigned annoyance. "Kushina .." Minato began, preparing for another scolding.

"Come on! Let's go, Minato. I wanna see Pinky." Kushina interrupted him urgently, using her nickname that she now used for the pink-haired girl that she still didn't know the name of. _'Just another one of my questions that will get answered today.'_

"Okay." Minato agreed.

"Oh and ..." Kushina paused in her walking, casting a sidelong glance at him. "Don't worry about the punch. The pain will go away in about an hour." Kushina informed him flippantly, still showing no remorse over her hit.

Minato nodded. "That's a relief." He had gotten quite used to Kushina's less-than-remorseful attitude after striking him. It surprised him but it was still one of the many reasons why he loved her. Together, they trudged on in the direction of the Hokage building.

* * *

Sakura had sat in comfortable silence with the Third, waiting for there visiters to come and find them. Her mind was still reeling from everything that had happened to her. It was so hard for her to deal with and absorb everything at once. _'What if I can't find my way back?' _Sakura wondered, anxiety and fear eating at her with even considering it. _'What if I can't see anyone ever again? What if I never see Naruto again?' _ Sorrow and grief enveloped her to a very surprising amount at the mention of Naruto. _'Why does that bother me so much? He's just my friend, right? Oh, who cares I just hope that never happens .. ever. I'm sure if I could handle it!' _Sakura admitted to herself, immediately avoiding the confusion that was her feelings for Naruto. _'Come on! I can't think like that. I need to look on the bright side of things.' _Sakura scolded herself. Thinking positively is the only thing that would help her get through this. She will find her go back to her own time. She _will_.

The door swung open, two teenagers stepping into the room. The girl being in the lead, the boy following close behind.

"Kushina! Minato! You're finally here." Hiruzen greeted them.

"Hope we're not late." Minato said good-naturedly.

"Hey! The girl is awake after all!" Kushina claimed, pointing to her.

"Yes. She has a .. fairly interesting story to tell us." Third Hokage began, casting a glance at Sakura.

Sakura was rooted to the spot she was standing in, stunned. _'Unbelievable ... I'm actually standing in the same room with the Fourth Hokage! He's 16 right now sure and he's not the Hokage yet ... but still!' _The man was a legend. A future hero. She looked him over. He didn't look very intimidating but she could tell he was. He was wearing a Jonin outfit and his forehead protector was on it's usual place. She decided, true to what she's heard of him, he actually was handsome. Though for some reason she found him familar ...

Minato himself gave her a confused look, wondering why she was staring at him for so long. He could almost make out awe and wonder in this girl's emerald gaze, which only served to mystify him more. _'What's so interesting? I don't understand.' _Minato wondered. Kushina on the other hand, fixed Sakura with narrowed eyes. Slight jealousy towards this stranger wormed her away inside her, which annoying her even more. _'Why the hell is she staring at him?! Minato's hot I admit it but this is seriously annoying me!' _Kushina admitted inwardly, completely misinterpreting Sakura's reason for staring.

"Hey! Pinky! Ya there?!" Kushina grumbled, waving her hand in front of her face to get her attention.

Sakura jumped, startled. _'Stupid! I completely forget she was here. I must have looked like a total idiot.' _Sakura raged, annoyed with herself. "Sorry! Kinda zoned out for a second." Sakura said sheepishly, noticing how everyone was now staring at her with almost the same expression, the red-headed girl seeming to be the only one holding anger.

"Ahem. Well, then ..." Hiruzen began awkwardly, pretending that her staring had never happened. " As both of you know, this girl is not a spy. She's an ally and needs our assistence."

"Yeah, we got that part." Kushina interrupted. "So who is she and where did she come from?" Kushina asked curiously, her momentary jealousy towards the pink-haired girl fading. She just wanted answers and she would not rest until she got them!

"I'm still here, you know." Sakura grumbled, annoyed. "And I'll explain that part."

Kushina and Minato turned to her, eying her with curiousity. "Well, explain already!" Kushina said impatiently.

"She meant to say 'Please explain to me.' and in a much calmer tone. " Minato butted in, trying to avoid making Kushina look rude. This remark earned a glare from the girl in question and an amused one on Sakura's.

"It's okay. I'm used to dealing with rude people. I have one to deal with on a regular basis. " Sakura admitted fondly. Naruto was just as straightforward and tactless as this girl was. " Anyway, I am from Konoha. I'm a medical ninja here." Sakura began.

Kushina looked confused. "That's impossible, though. Third Hokage told me he didn't recognize you. Don't tell me he was wrong." Kushina groaned. _'After all the suffering and guilt I went through this past week! Although the violence was fun ... He better hope he wasn't wrong!'_ She turned to said man.

"That's right, I did. But let her finish explaining." Hiruzen countered, bringing his full attention to Sakura. Kushina listened for once and returned her navy-blue gaze to Sakura.

"But I'm not from here. I'm from Konoha but the Konoha who has a Fifth Hokage. I'm from the future." Sakura finally dropped the bomb, not wanting to waste anymore time hedging. _'It's tiring going through this twice.' _Sakura thought bleakly.

Kushina's gaze widened with disbelief. "Okay, are you crazy? That's not-"

"Not impossible." Minato interrupted. Seeing the annoyance on Kushina's face, he carried on. "As far as we know, a jutsu like that hasn't been used. That's correct. But so many jutsu has been created over the years. Some we probably don't even know about. It'd take a great deal of power and craftiness to do a jutsu like that successfully, but it's smart to consider it." Minato explained. Kushina seemed to be considering his words. _'Maybe Minato's right. But then again, when is he not right.' _Kushina conceded. _'Time-travel huh? I saved someone from the future!? Awesome!' _Kushina realized, her thoughts quickly taking on a childish turn.

Sakura was impressed. Not that she really should have been but she couldn't help it. _'He's the Fourth Hokage. Hailed for his genuis and inventive mind. He might even be as smart as Shikamaru. Maybe smarter.' _Sakura realized, shocked at that thought. She felt the familar feelings of wonder fill her from earlier but this time she refused to let it show. Can't have another embarassing moment.

"As always Minato, I agree." Hiruzen said, unsurprised. "It seems she was attacked while doing a mission for her Hokage by a masked man. From what we can gather, he was incredibly powerful. The fact that she was sent here proves that."

"Don't forget her injuries. They were terrible. I literally thought she was gonna die." Kushina mentioned quietly, shivering as the memory of Pinky's body covered by deep wounds. _'I'll never forget that sight my entire life. It's a miracle she survived.' _

"Tell me about it." Sakura sighed. Her body still ached like hell and she guessed it would for a long time yet. Turning to the red-head, she said. "You're Kushina, right? You're the one that saved me." Sakura prompted.

"Yeah, I did." Kushina affirmed.

"Thank you so much. I'm so grateful that you did." Sakura said sincerely. She meant it from the bottom of her heart. She's the entire reason she's even still alive.

Kushina shrugged. "No big deal. You were hurt. I couldn't just let you die. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't try at least. I'd feel like some murderer or callous person if I did." Even if she was a spy, it would be one of the worst things to do. _'I'd be going against my ninja way if I didn't save her.' _Always helping people who need it was who she was, no matter how small or large the act was.

Sakura shook her head. "It is a big deal. Thank you." Sakura couldn't help but tell her this again.

"Anyway, do we know a way to send her back?" Minato asked the Hokage, getting straight to the point.

"No, unfortunately. That's yet to be decided. She doesn't remember the jutsu exactly but she did remember a white light and the pain that followed after. The person who did the jutsu is unknown. Except that ..." Hiruzen trailed off, looking to Sakura. Sakura nodded, encouraging her to tell them. Anything that might help her situation. Minato knowing would be a great asset.

"That?" Minato prompted, his scholarly mind wanting to know all the pieces of the puzzle.

"That the culprit used the Sharingan. Meaning an Uchiha." Third Hokage finished.

Minato looked to the floor, his blue gaze thoughtful and worried. "An Uchiha, huh? That poses a definite problem."

"Indeed." Hiruzen agreed, equally as depressed.

"Hold on a minute! An Uchiha did this to her?! All those terrible injuries! She almost died!" Kushina exclaimed, outraged. How could someone be so cruel and indifferent to do such a thing? It wasn't right! For the life of her, she couldn't understand. Especially that level of brutality!

"Yeah. He was in a whole different league altogether. I was alone so it only made things worse." Sakura replied, remembering how easily she had been beaten by Madara. She was certain he was barely even trying when he fought her. _'Arrogant bastard. He won't win next time.' _Sakura thought with steely determination, familar anger and shame curling inside.

Kushina looked equally as pissed as Sakura felt, which shocked Sakura. "I'll kill him! No one does that some innocent person! Especially all by yourself! By the time I get through with him, he'll wish he was never born, dattebane!" Kushina resolved. _'Wait till I get my hands on him. He'll run away crying. Damn cocky Uchiha! Who cares if he's in the future, I'll still fight him and kill him.' _Kushina thought irrationally. That threat won't be empty!

Minato chuckled. " Sounds like a great plan, Kushina. Except he's not in this time period and we still don't know how to bring her back home." Minato reasoned, amused by how hyper Kushina got. He felt anger over it himself but it still didn't change the fact that odds were stacked against them currently.

"Do you honestly think I give a crap, Minato?! I'm still gonna kill him, dattebane! Just you wait." Kushina persisted.

"Of course you will." Minato agreed teasingly.

"I am, dattebane! Stop mocking me, Minato!" Kushina growled at him, annoyed.

Sakura, on the other hand, was too stunned speechless to even agree or express her gratitude. _'Did she just say ... dattebane? That's sounds way too much like Naruto's dattebayo.' _Sakura realized, shaking her head to clear it. _'Maybe it's just a concidence.' _Sakura reasoned. _'Then again ...' _

Before Sakura could think about her suspicious any further, she was broken out of her thought process by the Third.

"Nice to see you so enthusiastic, Kushina." Hiruzen rumbled, equally as amused as Minato. "Nonetheless, you're right. This situation needs to be solved as quickly as possible. With time, we hopefully will be able to succede." Third Hokage said.

"Whaddya mean, _hopefully_?! We WILL succede. I'll make sure of it. Pinky WILL go home." Kushina said fervently.

Sakura's eye twitched as she finally registered the nickname 'Pinky' Kushina had given her. _'Why that? That's almost as bad as forehead!' _Sakura felt annoyance at the childish and demeaning nickname. _'No way in hell I'm let anyone call me that. I'll THROTTLE them!' _Sakura's temper finally had been activated but she forced herself to restrain it.

"Hey. Can you please not call me that?!" Sakura growled lowly, failing to retain her normal voice.

Noticing the tone of voice, Kushina's eyes narrowed in anger. "Not my fault I don't know your name. You were all rude and didn't introduce yourself properly." Kushina challenged.

Sakura clenched her teeth. _'Don't push it, Kushina. You may not like what you see.' _Sakura felt her control slipping. "Like you're one to talk!" Sakura bit back. "You're probably one of the rudest people I've ever meet!" Sakura retorted. _'Well, besides Naruto.'_

"HUH! I'M NOT RUDE, I'M JUST HONEST!" Kushina spat, her own temper quickly escalating.

"You mean tactless! Which means rude, by the way." Sakura shot back.

They quickly got into each other's faces, glaring at each other with equal anger, neither of them refusing to back down to the other. "WHAT'D YOU KNOW, PINKY! YOU PROBABLY JUST HAVE EMPTY SPACE INSIDE THAT BIG FOREHEAD!" Kushina insulted, not realizing she had hit a particularly sore spot inside Sakura. If she had known, she wouldn't have said it.

Sakura backed off for a minute, startled by the familar insult. _'No one has had the guts to make fun of my forehead in years. How dare she?' _Actually hurt by that comment, Sakura fired back. "DON'T CALL ME THAT! MY NAME IS SAKURA! SAKURA HARUNO! AND LOOK AT YOUR HAIR! WHAT KIND OF HAIR COLOR IS THAT!" Truthfully, she thought her hair was beautiful. Very unique and colorful but there was no way she was going to admit that.

Now it was Kushina's turn to look startled. _'What the hell is wrong with her? My hair is beautiful! Minato said so.' _ " Shut up, Pinky! Sakura! Whatever the hell your name is. I'll call you whatever I want! And look at your hair! It's worse than mine." Kushina retorted.

"Would you like me to call you Red or 'Redshina'?" Sakura said mockingly.

"I'm Kushina! That's all! Are you trying to fight me, Sakura!?" Kushina taunted. She could feel some type of respect towards this girl's guts and bravery. Very few had the nerve to challenge her or her temper. But she wasn't backing down either.

"I'm ready if you are." Sakura challenged, forgetting completely the presence of Hiruzen and Minato in the room. Minato's expression looked torn between horror and panic, realizing just how badly this situation might end. _'Please no. Kushina's been in enough fights already!' _Minato braced himself, preparing to separate the two hot-blooded kunoichis, even if he got hit in the process. "Kushina! Sakura! Sto-"

"Enough!" Hiruzen snapped, furious. "This is not the time for quarreling, especially in front of your Hokage. Have you no restraint?" Both Sakura and Kushina looked at him guiltily before glaring at each other one more time and pointedly turn their backs on each other all at the same time. Minato breathed a sigh of relief. _'Thank goodness. Nothing bad happened.' _

Hiruzen sat back in his chair, his gray eyes serious and reproachful. "I'm disapointed in you both. You are both Chunins, no matter what time period your from. Minato, take Kushina home. You are both to meet with Sakura tommorrow _pleasantly ..." _Hiruzen put emphasis on pleasantly with a pointed look at Kushina. " You will be her guides and aides in helping her. Sakura, you will live temperarily in one of the small apartments near the Hyuuga compound. Your bills will be payed until you leave." Third Hokage ordered. Sakura nodded obligingly, guilt and shame now attacking her. _'I can't believe myself. I let my temper get the better of me like I always do. I should apologize to Kushina tommorrow.' _Sakura decided.

Minato nodded himself and encouraged Kushina to follow after him. She stood stubbornly in place for a moment for no particular reason, other than the sake of being stubborn. Minato looked at her disapprovingly and after the Third Hokage glared at her firmly, Kushina finally relented.

"Here's your key. Room number 203. Do you know where it is?" Hiruzen asked.

Sakura frowned in thought. "I think so. Hopefully not much really changed." Sakura said hopefully.

"You can go now, too." The Hokage told her.

"Right, thanks." Sakura said turning to leave as well. Coming out of the door and closing it behind her, she hear Kushina's loud voice from the opposite direction. Curious, Sakura paused. _'I'm not eavesdropping. Her voice is just hard to ignore.' _Sakura thought defensively.

"This isn't as fun as I thought it would be. That Sakura's girl's too challenging and gutsy for her own good." Kushina whined to Minato.

"You mean, too much like you? Can't handle the challenge?" Minato said in bemusement.

"I can handle _anything_! Nothing stops Kushina Uzumaki, not even one Sakura Haruno!" Kushina said indignantly, complete confidence in her voice. "You know me better than that!"

Minato said something back to her but they were already too far away for Sakura to make out clearly. Not that she would have picked up on it anyways, as her mind was completely drained of all thought which seemed to happen to her a lot today. _'Did she just say ... Kushina UZUMAKI?!_

* * *

**A/N: For my loyal reviewers, favoriters, and followers I created this extra long chapter for you guys :D, just to show you how grateful I am of your support. I hope I didn't disappoint XD. And for those of you who are wondering about the Sakura/Kushina fight in this chapter, I was aiming for comic relief :D. Not sure if I succeded or not XD but I wanted to do that to portray how similar Sakura and Kushina are. There will be a Saku/Kushi friendship in this but I'm basing it somewhat off of the Saku/Ino friendship. It will be developed little by little but it'll be there. And here's another point I'd like to make: Just because I had Sakura admit Minato was attractive(I mean who wouldn't :D?) and Kushina was jealous for a moment, DOES NOT mean MinaSaku will be in this. Sakura's only love interest is Naruto(And maybe Sasuke. He'll probably be mentioned a few times XD).**

**This is personally my favorite chapter so far, especially because of the Kushina beating up Inoichi scene and then hitting Minato XD. The Sakura and Kushina argument was complete gold for me too :D. And Minato's character in general is just fun XD. He reminds me of Naruto yet completely different from him in the sense that he's way smarter, more rational, and detached. :P**

**Preview to Next Chapter: **Saku/Mina/Kushi bonding as well as skips to the present. Tsunade for sure, maybe Naruto XD. I'm not sure on that one :P.

_**Reviews are wonderful support! I love reading them! :P**_


	7. Chapter 7: Rocky Beginnings

**A/N: **7th chapter here obviously XD. And I'd like to make a reply to **Exleader75: **You're completely right. The Third would definitely not believe Sakura's story that easily. I wasn't really thinking of that then XD, but I see that slight OOCness I made out of it. I'm tempted to make Hiruzen suspious now but it would just seem out of place. For those of you that also noticed that, I hope it doesn't bother you too much :P. Anyways, I realized that I **did **want a Naruto cameo in this chapter. I miss writing him lol XD. He's my favorite character after all :P. He's gonna still be on the boat since if my memory is correct, Naruto's trip was about a month's length before reaching Turtle Island(Sorry if I'm wrong XD. I don't feel like re-watching the lame _Sea Adventures _filler arc again. :P). But enough of my useless babble XD. Onto the story!

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto and never will. That right belongs to Kishi. If I did somehow own Naruto, Tobi's true idenitity wouldn't be who it seems it is(SOO SAD!), Sakura would have fought Chiyo in the war, and Kurama wouldn't become Naruto's ally so quickly( Guess it is kinda cool that he's on the good side now XD but it seemed a bit rushed :P)**

_Constructive critizism I appreciate! :)_

* * *

Rocky Beginnings

Kushina stood stock-still, arms crossed, in the early gray of the morning, her long, blood-red hair tied in a high up ponytail. It was a habit she started doing a year ago while on missons or sparring with her teammates as her hair eventually got so long in length that it interfered with it all. She was annoyed with having to do it at first, but now she was quite comfortable with it after having adjusted. Her best friend, Mikoto Uchiha, had suggested cutting it but Kushina immediately turned her nose up at that idea. _'No way. I love my hair. And I'd look like crap with short hair!' _Kushina scowled a little. Kami, she was bored! That fact that she was even thinking about this was proof of her bordem!

She had been standing out here alone for hours at the Training Field. Even Minato hadn't shown up yet, which was quite a shocker as the boy was always the first to be here. "Serves me right for getting up earlier." Kushina mumbled out loud. She really didn't want to do this. Well, she did and she didn't. Sakura seemed like the type to get on her nerves easily, if their first meeting was any indication. But, _still, _somehow ... she wanted to help her. Kushina didn't truly understand why but even she could acknowledge that that Uchiha who had hurt her so badly needed to pay. _' I'll still kill him someday ... make no mistake. When the Red Habernero starts something, she finishes it!' _Kushina's trademark resolve returned and she clenched her fist. _' I'll help her or whatever but only because she needs it! I won't be her friend though! I won't.' _ She denied, absolutely sure nothing would change that.

Suddenly, Kushina heard a rustle and turned in it's direction. _'Please be Minato ... Please be Minato.' _Kushina chanted mentally, a hopeful expression on her face. She really didn't feel like standing alone with Sakura, as she was afraid she'd end up arguing with her again. If someone wasn't there to stop them, she didn't think it'd be pretty. But besides that, she just liked being alone with Minato in general, more than she would ever verbally admit. She could barely admit it to herself! _'Yes!' _Her navy-blue eyes light up with delight when seeing the distinctive unruly blonde spikes.

Minato fully emerged from the foliage, blue eyes scanning the clearing until spotting the bright splash of red hair that was Kushina. He smiled warmly at her, before picking his way through the field.

"Hey! Minato, you're finally here. It took ya long enough!" Kushina shouted loudly at him, her voice teasing and her expression good-natured.

" I don't think I'm late, Kushina. You're probably just early. But still, I'm sorry you had to wait." Minato said sincerely.

"Well, it felt late to me. I waited forever." Kushina said pointedly, trying not to sound like she was whining. She _hated _whining and she barely ever did. Out loud, anyway.

" My point still stands. Try not getting to your destination too early. We both know you don't have the patience for that. Maybe be a bit later than when you left this morning. " Minato advised kindly.

Kushina frowned in displeasure. " I just can't win. I get up too early, I have to do nothing for like hours. I get up later, I end up too late and Eri-sensei scolds me! Or someone else." She said in defeat. "What's the point, sometimes?"

"Why not try training? That always keeps you busy." Minato asked, surprised that she hadn't though about it herself. Kushina was always training. Or playing pranks. He tried to lessen the latter since they became friends after he had rescued her from Cloud ninja, but changing the woman in front of him's more faulty traits was not a easy task, as he soon found out. Eventually, he acknowledged that Kushina's independent spirit included no changing something of her personality unless _she _wanted to change it. Playing mischievous pranks occassionally was just something he had to live with.

Her eyes widened in realization and she hit her forehead in a 'duh' gesture. " Of course! I should have thought of it earlier. Damnit, I wish I remembered!" Kushina cursed, her tone angry. " I can be such a baka sometimes." Minato opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a glare from Kushina. " Don't say anything." She said firmly, not wanting him to agree or disagree with her over her intelligence.

Acknowledging her serious and low words, Minato obeyed and shut up. Instead he looked around and finally noticed that the pink-haired time-traveller, Sakura he believed, was not with them. Minato's face frowned a little, wondering what was keeping her. " Sakura's not here yet." He remarked, gaze still searching for her distinctive pink hair and red vest.

Kushina looked up at him, recalling Sakura to show up. " Oh yeah. I was hoping you wouldn't mention her." She grumbled. " Does it really matter that much? I'm sure she just got lost or something. I don't wanna her to show up, anyway."

Minato stared at her, his facial expression faintly sympathatic and disaproving all at once. " It _does _matter, Kushina. We may not know her very well but she's obviously confused and lost in this place. I'm sure she misses the friends and family she left behind. How would you feel if you were in her position?" Minato questioned logically, trying to get elict some form of sympathy for the pinkette. That way, it might be easier for her to get along with her.

" I guess ... unhappy and frustrated ... lost too." Kushina admitted grudgingly. _' But still! Couldn't she be a bit more easier to deal with?' _Kushina thought, frustrated.

" See? We should pity her, not fight with her. I sense that she's a good person. Maybe a little headstrong and emotional, but you are too. " Minato remarked matter-of-factly. "And you're not a bad person. You're a very kind one. Give her a chance."

Kushina scowled at him. " But she insulted my hair!" She argued angrily, not really caring how stupid a reason it seemed to almost start a fight.

Minato raised a brow at her. " I thought you didn't care anymore what people thought of you?"

" I don't, dattebane!" Kushina retorted, flustered. " But doesn't mean I like hearing it! It's annoying." She admitted. It was the truth. Every since the day Minato saved her and complimented her hair that she had despised, it changed her outlook on everything she felt. But still ... the old insult still stung at least a little bit. _'But Tomato frickin makes me want to punch someone a lot more than insulting my hair nowadays.' _Kushina realized.

" And you insulted her forehead _and_ hair color. Does that make you any different?" Minato countered. He wasn't trying to argue with Kushina but he wanted her to realize her the mistake she made.

Kushina put her hands on her hips. " What, you're on her side now?! She started it, dattebane!" Kushina said defensively, trying to ignore the beginnings of remorse she felt pull at her emotions.

Minato shook his head. " I am on your side, Kushina. But I have to disagree. Both of you are equally guiltly and _both _of you started it." He said bluntly.

_'Really! You chose now of all times to have a backbone with me, Minato!' _Kushina realized in annoyed distress, cursing her situation a thousand times. " You're too nice. What do you know?!" Kushina shot back, turning from him a bit so he wouldn't realize the guilt she knew she had on her expression.

Minato smirked. " A lot, Kushina. I was made Jonin for a reason, you know."

She scoffed at that, hoping it sounded disbelieving. " Being a Jonin doesn't make you always right, dattebane." Kushina retorted, despite her common sense realizing already that he was completely right. _' Why does he have to make me feel bad about what I did to Sakura now?! I was perfectly fine with being unremorseful until baka Minato had to give one of his winded lectures again. So what if it was wrong?' _ Kushina argued mentally, despite her heart oozing regret thanks to the blonde she was currently with.

Minato shrugged, smiling a little. " You're right. I've been wrong in many aspects before and likely will be again. But I do know I'm right on this one. Realizing your mistake is the first step."

Kushina now turned to face him, still a little angry. " Okay, I admit it. Maybe ... maybe _I was _wrong. " She forced out, swallowing her pride. " But I don't wanna apologize." She insisted, ornery as always.

Minato sighed a bit but gave her a knowing look. " I know when you're lying Kushina. I know you feel bad and you _do _actually want to say you're sorry. So suck up your personal pride. It's not like anyone will look down on you for it so why worry?" He reasoned.

"Why should I say anything?" She argued much weaker than before, still struggling to give in.

" Because it's the right thing to do." Minato stated simply.

" But it's so hard, dattebane! I'm not good at this stuff." Kushina said honestly. " If anything, _she _owes me an apology." Minato continued to stare at her sternly, not giving in inch. _' Wow. He can almost be as stubborn as me when the time calls for it.' _Kushina remarked inwardly, almost impressed. She was completely stubborn so that was pretty rare. Finally, her shoulders sagged a bit in defeat. " Fine, fine. You win. I'll _apologize, _okay? But she better apologize back. Otherwise I'll be really mad." Kushina said irritably. " But I'm not going to be her friend, you got that!"

" Baby steps, Kushina. I'm not asking for that. Just try to be civil." Minato looked away from her for the moment, still scanning for the appearance of Sakura.

" Whatever." Kushina replied. " I'll ... _try_. Let's just quit talking already and wait for Pinky to get here." She said, wanting to change the topic already, not realizing that she had just used her pet name for Sakura.

Minato gazed at her, defeat and tiredness clear in his bright blue eyes before heaving a tired sigh. " Here's another tip, Kushina. Try not to call Sakura 'Pinky' today, please. I don't feel like stopping another fight."

* * *

Sakura stepped out of her apartment, carefully closing and looking the door behind her. The apartment Third Hokage had been surprisingly roomy. Sure it wasn't anything like her own room and it was a bit bare but it had a bed with sheets, a couch, and on top of that food. She missed her true home and room already but she realized it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. _' Still ... I miss my parents already. Sure it's a little fun not having Mom breathing down my neck for every little thing I do and having to listen to Dad's lame jokes. But I can't help but feel lonely here ... I don't even know anyone. Or I guess to be accurate ... they don't know me.' _Sakura thought, feeling greatly isolated.

She wished someone was with her now. Anyone, really. Just so she'd feel a bit more cheerful. But she found she particularly wished Naruto was here. If he was, he'd be optimistic and carefree like he always was. Encouraging her and his determination and confidence that they would get out of this would motivate her to be less pessimestic. It always did somehow, even in the darkest and hopeless of situations. _'He always makes everything seem so easy.'_ Sakura reflected, sighing wistfully. Those were traits she always admired about him, even back when she didn't think too much of him. She needed that now more than ever. But it was impossible and she had to accept that. He wasn't here and she had to handle it on her own. _' But I'm not gonna give up. I can do this. I will.' _Sakura thought firmly, now focusing her mind and eyes to the path of the Training Field.

Sakura felt a frown developing on her face as she thought about her meeting with the two fellow ninja. She was still confused as to why she had to be with them so much. Where they on a misson, discussing how to bring her back, or just sparring? Sakura wasn't sure but she was certain that it one of them was right. Not that she was truly complaining. Meeting the Fourth Hokage and actually get to know him was a dream come true to her. To actually _know _one of the most famous ninja in history that had passed on when she was still just a baby, outside of the stories told about him. It seemed completely unrealistic to her but it was happening. That possibility intrigued her and piped her curiousity.

But then there was the other ... the annoying, hyper red-head she had met just the other day that was the polar opposite of Minato in every way possible. Sakura grimaced as she recalled their argument and felt the familar guilt she been feeling ever since yesterday. She didn't hate Kushina and she still felt in her debt for saving her when she didn't have to. But she was so rude! It was partly her fault for letting her temper be set free but it was so hard not to. It's like she knew all the possible ways to push her over the edge and annoy her just the right way. A lot of people annoy her and if she was completely honest with herself, it did not take very much effort. But only two people could annoy her like that and that was Ino and Naruto. _' Ino and Naruto are the best friends I have ever had. I'd give my life for them. But they know how to push my buttons 'cause they know me. This girl doesn't yet she's exactly the same ... She reminds me of a Naruto/Ino combo. So much like Naruto but he would never insult me like that. At least ... not on purpose. Which is exactly why Ino comes to mind too.' _

Sakura sighed in irriation. Thinking about both Naruto and Kushina at once made her head hurt and left her more than a little confused. _' Did I even hear right? Her full name is Kushina UZUMAKI. Did I really just hear that?' _Sakura lost count on how many times that thought wandered in her head after she went to her temperarily home. It seemed so hard to believe ... almost like a dream. But then again, this whole thing seemed like to dream to her lately. _' Is Naruto related to her somehow? She does say dattebane, just like Naruto says dattebyo.' _Sakura, due to her state of shock last night, could not truly come up with any possible conclusion that made any sense to her. But now, while still a bit dazed, she was now able to think more deeply about all of this. Sakura's brow furrowed in concentration. _' One thing's for sure. She definitely has a connection to Naruto somehow. By blood, I'm guessing.' _Sakura felt slightly giddy about this realization. As far as she knew, Naruto didn't really know about his family or his parents. If she truly figured this out and her suspicions were true, then when she comes back to her own time( Sakura purposely ignored the small, negative voice that said IF she was even coming back), she could finally tell him about his heritage. Sakura smiled fondly at the thought, picturing how happy he would be. _' That's what I'm gonna do. I'll tell him because he deserves that more than anyone else I know does.' _ She resolved determinedly.

Firmly dislodging Naruto from her mind(Partly because she needed to focus and partly because she realized when thinking about Naruto, she missed him more than she thought she would. But she rationalized it as just being because of the situation she's in), an impatient Sakura used her ninja-level speed, realizing just how long this was taking her. _'I'm sure there waiting for me. I better hurry up!'_

* * *

Present: Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto lay lazily on the ship, arms behind his head while looking up at the daytime sky. His short attention span flitted to the birds that flew above him or any other thing he could find at least the tiniest bit interesting. It didn't work as well as he wanted it to, as he still felt bored as hell. He suddenly almost regretted doing this training deal and longed for the ramen, comforting bed, and sloppy apartment that awaited him back in Konoha. Almost. His purpose was to get strong enough to fight Sasuke, and he couldn't do that if he stayed at home. Everyone else had agreed with him. So because of his motivation to take down and save Sasuke, he'd endure any bordom or just about any other unpleasant thing to accomplish that goal. Nothing stops Naruto Uzumaki once he sets his sights on something!

Naruto turned on his side, suddenly sick of watching seagulls fly meaninglessly above him. _' Sasuke ...' _Naruto couldn't help the familar pain that pierced him when he though about his best friend whom he considered a brother. He had changed so much over the years ... he could barely believe he was the same person anymore. But he wanted to believe their was still hope for Sasuke and Team 7. He had too! He knew that he might have to kill Sasuke but he'd die as well. That was the only other option for him. _' Sasuke ... No matter what you say, I will free you of your hate. Just like I will to the whole ninja world that Pervy Sage entrusted me with.' _ It was his duty as Jiraiya's student and Sasuke's friend.

Naruto sighed loudly. Another downside to being on a ship for a whole week is that it forced him to think over things he really didn't want to go over right now. Sasuke being one of those things obviously but that's not all of it. Not being active and staying in place for so long caused his thoughts to be directed at Sakura. And unlike the usual fondness and love he felt for his pink-haired teammate, he found his thoughts surprisingly negative which wasn't really like him at all. Instead, thinking about her brought pain and confusion. It wasn't like he didn't love Sakura anymore. He knew he still did and there was no point in lying to himself that he felt differently. But ever since _that _day, Naruto found it difficult to be around her. So many questions and pained accusations burned inside him, begging him to voice it. _'But I'm not gonna ... Sakura-chan's been through enough with Sasuke. It'd be wrong of me to confront her about it again, no matter how much I want to. I should just pretend her confession to me never happened.' _

It _hurt_. It _hurt _so much more than he will ever admit to anyone, especially Sakura. He felt like he was in hell that day when he realized Sakura was lying to him about loving him. _' I was so happy when Sakura-chan said those words ... I wanted to believe it so bad! I thought for once that "Hey, maybe she does actually love me after all these years?" But, deep down, I knew she didn't mean it. Everything about it was so wrong ... Sakura-chan loves Sasuke, not me. Even Sai said so! It's how it's always been. She can't lie to herself about that, especially to me. I know her better than anyone.' _

Naruto knew exactly why he hadn't moved on from Sakura even though she didn't love him the same. He couldn't help but have some small flame of hope, some possiblity that he'll be with her someday. There just wasn't anyone else like her that he could love. Hinata is a good friend and he'll never forget how brave she was trying to fight off Nagato to protect him, just like he won't forget that she was the first person to say that she loved him. But she wasn't something he wanted, at least not a relationship. _' I must be a jerk for not giving her a straight answer but I couldn't help it. I didn't know how to act around her or even turn her down! I'm not good at that stuff.' _Naruto thought in frustration. He felt guilty about it but he really didn't want to hurt Hinata's feelings. Someone as nice as her ... it just wouldn't be easy. But that was no excuse and he knew he had to respond to her at some point. He just prayed she would understand.

He never expected to actually fall in love with Sakura. All she was to him was a girl with good, unique looks and someone he wanted to acknowledge him. It just kind of happened before he could even fully pick up on it or register it. He never anticipated how much it would pain him to see her love Sasuke or the lengths he would go so she could be happy and to not have her worry about his personal feelings. _' That's all I want, really. Sakura-chan to be happy. Her happiness is with Sasuke. I know that and I always have ... but I'll still protect her and be there when she needs someone. If that's what I have to deal with my entire life then fine. I will.' _

"Naruto? Something wrong?" A familar voice asked, abruptly cutting off his depressing thoughts. Naruto was relieved by this.

Naruto grinned at him, despite not feeling anywhere near his usual self. "Nothing really, Captain Yamato. Just, you know, excited about training." He lied easily, not really wanting to explain what he was really thinking about.

" You were thinking about Sakura, weren't you?" Yamato asked, his expression serious and knowing.

Naruto looked shocked, his mouth gaping _'How the hell does he know that?!' _ " W-What makes you say that, dattebayo?" Naruto asked nervously.

"It's just ... with everything that's happened, I figured she'd be one of the first things you'd think about." Yamato said honestly.

Naruto retained his forced cheerful expression for a moment before it falling immediately, not finding it in him to pretend to be normal right now. " It's nothing. Really. Sakura-chan was just trying to save Sasuke. It's not that big of a deal." Naruto said, despite his heart screaming it was.

"Naruto ... I know how you feel about Sakura. There's no point in trying to deny it or play it off like your feelings are not as deep as I know they are." Yamato stated matter-of-factly.

Naruto stared at him, stunned. Feeling his face heating up embarassingly, Naruto managed to blurt out. "HUH! How in the hell does everyone know about it, dattebayo!"

Yamato looked amused for a second. " You don't hide your feelings very well, Naruto. I'm pretty sure most of the village knows you love Sakura."

"Whatever." Naruto said in defeat. _'The only person who can't seem to figure out is Sakura-chan herself. Why is it always like that?' _Naruto questioned, quite angry with that. " Maybe I do ... but Sakura-chan loves Sasuke. She'll only love Sasuke. I can't change that." He said, clearly pained by those words.

" And you don't think she can love you?" Yamato queried.

You don't get it, Captain Yamato. Sakura-chan _begged_ me to bring Sasuke back to her. She was so heartbroken and upset." Naruto closed his eyes, the image of that painful memory still burned into his mind. " I couldn't say no to that, especially because Sakura-chan deserves happiness. That's why I made the promise. Anything to get Sakura to stop crying and breaking down right in front of me. I knew then that Sakura-chan would always love Sasuke and not me. I can't lie to myself about it. You weren't there. You didn't see it so you wouldn't understand why I think this way." Naruto argued.

"Naruto ... I've seen things that you haven't either about Sakura's feelings too ... about you. She cares about you probably a lot more than she realizes." Yamato said cryptically.

Naruto looked puzzled. " What do you mean? Sakura-chan cares about everyone. It's part of who she is." Naruto replied.

Yamato sighed. _'Well ... I guess I have to meddle.' _ He thought in resignation. " It was a while ago ... on our first misson as a team with Sai. You remember, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Uh-huh. It was when I lost control of the fox and fought against Orochimaru."

" There's one part I didn't tell you and frankly I regret that I never have sooner." Yamato began.

"What, dattebyo?" Naruto insisted, getting impatient.

" I told you that you caused the wound on Sakura's arm ..." Yamato said. Naruto fixed him with grief-stricken blue eyes at that reminder, still feeling the guilt of that event. " But never how it got there. You didn't go up and _attack _Sakura like I'm sure you guessed. Sakura ran up to _you_, sobbing. At the time, I didn't know what she was talking about but I do now." He said firmly. " She was telling you to stop and that she'll save Sasuke. You didn't have to go that far to try."

Naruto's blue eyes widened. " She really did that?! Why?! Didn't she know how dangerous I was in that state? I could have killed her, dattebyo!" Naruto exclaimed, genuinely angry.

" Under normal circumstances, I'm sure she would have. But Sakura wasn't thinking clearly then, which caused her to be reckless. When she got to you, you just swatted her away with your Chakra tail. _That's _what caused her wound. You could have done much worse." Yamato said flatly.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but Yamato cut him off. "And that's not all that happened. I'm not done yet, Naruto."

"There's more?" He asked meekly, his voice surprisingly quiet for once.

Yamato nodded. "Yes, there is." He crossed his arms and wore a calculating expression. " After I stablized you from the Nine-tails chakra, Sakura was worried sick over you. She immediately tried her best to heal you even though she was already wounded. It wasn't easy for her ... but she did it anyway. And then ... Sakura told me that she could only do the trival, small things for you. That's all she's ever done." Yamato finished, still remembering Sakura's distress clearly.

Naruto seemed to forget his shock for a minute, as protest swirled inside him. "That's not true at all! Sakura-chan was one of the first people who ever acknowledged me. She helped save me from loneliness, dattebayo. Everything she gives me: Her friendship, her trust, her support. That means a damn lot to me, dattebayo! Why can't she see that, dattebayo?!" Naruto shouted, now standing up. He was furious that the girl he loved had such a low opinion of her value and had never told him. It just wasn't true!

Yamato stood up too and put his hands on his trembling shoulders. " Easy, Naruto. Calm down. You'll wake up Guy and Aoba."

Naruto shook his hands off, not wanting to be comforted or calm. " I don't really care right now, dattebayo! Sakura-chan should have told me, dattebayo!" Naruto insisted.

" I know, Naruto. And she probably didn't because she knew you would deny it. She really didn't see it that way and I'm postive she still feels like she doesn't do enough for you, even now." Yamato admitted. " I told her that all that really matters is how much she cares for you but I don't think I convinced her."

Naruto clenched his fist and brought it up near his face, still looking angry. "Next time I see Sakura-chan, I'm gonna stop her from thinking that way, dattebayo. Just you wait, dattebayo!"

Yamato sighed again, exhausted. " Hopefully, she'll listen to you better than she did me." He then regained his previous serious expression, looking directly at him. Naruto seemed to calm down some, looking curious. " But my entire point is ... I believe Sakura might have feelings for you. Saying she realizes it is a different story altogether."

Naruto smiled sadly. " I haven't seen enough to make me really believe it, Captain Yamato. Sakura-chan's weird confession didn't help at all. It only made things worse." He said, shaking him head.

"Naruto ... how do you _feel_ about her confession? Honestly?" Yamato asked worriedly, not stopping himself from asking.

Naruto was silent for several moments, chosing his word carefully. _' Should I tell him ... I thought I promised myself I'd keep quiet about it. Maybe I'll just tell him and no one else. Only to let it out.' _ " Honestly? Hurt. Confused. Sad. I feel like it was a big lie and that my heart got stomped on that day, in more ways than one." He said, recalling the tramautic experience of facing Sasuke and being pressured to kill him. " But I also know that Sakura-chan wasn't trying to hurt my feelings. She was just looking out for me because she cared. I can't hate her for that and I can forgive her. Sai told me she was just trying to handle things on her own. It was stupid but she was doing it for me. So I wouldn't have to handle everything. Sakura-chan wanted to kill Sasuke to save the guy she loves from the darkness. I'll never tell her how much she hurt me that day because I don't want her to feel guilty about it. Sakura-chan cares too much and I don't want her to worry about how I feel. It's not her problem. So I'm just gonna go about my life and pretend as best I could that The Land of Iron confession never happened, especially when I'm with Sakura-chan." Naruto said meaningfully, meaning every single word he said. In the end, it was in Sakura's best interest. And that's all that really mattered to him now.

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**A/N: **God, this chapter is so sad for me XD. See this is why I love Naruto's character so much and ship NaruSaku so badly. His devotion and selflessness is unparalleled :P. He deserves to be with person he loves more than anyone else in the series :D. I'm also basing it off canon, which is why I'm displaying Sakura's confused feelings for Naruto. I don't like doing character shippings right away in the beginning of the story XD. Takes the interest and fun out of it :P. Which is why MinaKushi and NaruSaku are gradual. I also love the Yamato moment XD. It's always bothered me how he never told Naruto everything that happened during that arc when he was unconscious. So I decided NaruSaku needed another third party :P XD. Anyways, I know I promised Tsunade would be seen and she will next week. I just really liked the way I ended this :P and also I'm tired right now XD.

_**Reviews are awesome! They're just so apreciated by me :P!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Kunoichi Bonding

**A/N: **My longest update ever, huh people XD? I really wanted to update last week but many things got in the way of that. I was sick with stomaches for about three days and then coughing as well (I still have that actually. The coughing part, anyway XD). I was still going to update but being away from school for 3 days really catches up with ya. Homework, homework, and more homework XD. To put it frankly, last week and sort of this week suck majorly :(. But hopefully updating finally and feedback will lighten my mood! :P

Okay, time to talk about the actual story ;D. Apparently, review-wise, Ch. 7 was my most unpopular chapter XD. Not surprising, as I know not all of my readers are NaruSaku fans and are reading for Sakura/Kushina or MinaKushi :P. I'm sorry for those of you are were annoyed by the NaruSakuness in it but it's gonna be seen. Remember this is a **eventual** NaruSaku/MinaKushi fic ;). But it's now back to the normal plot for now, more or less. :D

And I'd like to make a reply to one of my reviewers. **The Great Unknown98: **Thank you for loving my story so much XD. I'm genuinely flattered. I never expected to have so many people like my story, like I've stated before. But to answer your request, I have to say that Chapter 7 was the closest to anime filler 235 as you can get. I find it somewhat unecessary to add that episode into the plot, as it screams NS fanservice and I find Ch. 7 necessary enough. Plus, don't forget not everyone who reads this is NaruSaku. Some just read for Sakura and Kushina, plus there is more to my story than NaruSaku. But I don't think you'll be disappointed ;) and the pairing **will **play a part, little by little throughout the story. And thank you also for the advice XD. I'm aware that action plays a huge part in Naruto and though I doubt my skills in writing action scenes, I'll be sure to add it in :).

Wow. Long author's notes this update. XD Anyways, back to the story :P.

_Constructive critizism is always welcome so I can prevent future errors. :)_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I would, Sasuke would not want to destroy Konoha, Sakura would learn to summon slugs, and Tsunade WOULD NOT be cut in half (See Naruto manga Chapter 601 D:)!**

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Kunoichi Bonding

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_'Finally! I'm here. I hope they didn't wait too long.' _Sakura worried, unconsciously worrying her bottom lip in slight guilt. It was completely her fault. She did feel melancholy in this new time period but it wasn't the only thing that caused her pace to be slow. While traveling through the village en route to the training grounds, many of the villagers cast her suspicious looks, as if they expected her to attack them at any moment. It was expected of course, but it didn't make her feel any less unwelcome despite the Third's warm reassurances. _' He still didn't tell them about me being from the future. Not that I blame him. Who on earth would believe that story?' _Sakura reflected. The villagers were simply told that she was no threat and they trust their Hokage, but apparently not her.

Old loneliness surged inside her again. She missed home. She missed the welcoming faces and hell, she even missed the teasing, bossy presence of Ino. _'Never thought I'd say that ...' _She thought, surprising herself. She _actually _missed Ino. Her number one rival and greatest frenemy. _'Wow. This time-changing thing HAS to be messing with my head.' _Sakura put her hand on her head, slightly apalled by that fact.

This wasn't her home, no matter how much it looked like it. The glares she got just reinforced that fact. _' Is this how Naruto felt like? ' _Sakura wondered. _'Lonely ... Hated ... It's awful!' _How could any human being go through so much hardship for _years_ and still be one of the nicest people she ever met? There wasn't very many people like him in the world. _' I was one of them too ... I looked down on him for so long just like everyone else.' _ There were so many things she regretted in her young life, Naruto and her treatment of him one of her greatest regrets. _' I never told him how sorry I was ... did I? For everything!' _Sakura didn't think she could ever forgive herself for everything she did to him. He never deserved any of it, even when he was a immature, annoying child. If only she could change it all! _' Naruto ... how can you still care about me? How?' _She had thought that so many times. She didn't deserve him! She didn't! But he still chose to love her anyways. Why _is _that?

Sakura shook her head furiously to clear it, annoyed at how her thoughts seemed to always associate themselves with guilt and then Naruto. _' Stop that! Now isn't the time to wallow in self-pity. I have people to meet. I've been standing here for way too long!' _She gazed around, realizing that this entire time she had been standing in the forest near a tree, just shy of the Training Field. " Damnit! Baka Naruto!" She cursed out loud, automatically feeling to urge to blame Naruto for her restless thoughts. Sure, she knew better but sometimes she just couldn't help it.

Quickly, she pushed on through the trees and reached the clearing, the distinctive, large tree stumps being the first sight that greeted her. The second sight she saw was the people she was here to see. Kushina's unnatural long hair was clearly seen, tied in a long, flowing pony tail. She was resting on the grass, her legs splayed out ungirlishly with a annoyed/bored expression on her pale face. Minato was with her, leaning against the tree stump. Unlike his companion who was also leaning on the tree stump next to her, he was standing with his arms crossed, eyes closed and a patient expression on his face. Kushina appeared to be babbling something to him. Giving her loud speech, Sakura could hear it clearly as she picked her way to their spot.

" I spy something ... blue!" Kushina decided.

Minato didn't budge, his eyes still closed in a resting-like action. " Sky." He surmized simply.

"How'd ya know?" She questioned curiously, turning her head to look at him.

Minato cracked open an eye. " It's not the first time you've said that since we've been waiting." He pointed out. "And also, most of this area is green."

Kushina's face scrunched up in a half-irritated scowl, blushing slightly in embarassment. " So what? It could've been your Jonin shirt underneath your vest!" She argued, gesturing to his undershirt.

" It wasn't though." Minato replied, his voice teasing.

Kushina huffed and turned away from him, returning to her previous position. " Shut up." She muttered. " I'm not _that _predictable."

" You're right. You aren't. " He supplied helpfully, despite inwardly believing the exact opposite. He knew how much Kushina loved to be right. Much more than even he did.

" Good. " She said, obviously very satisfied with his response. It was just like he expected her to react. Kushina gazed around hastily, almost completely missing the pinkette that was getting closer and closer to their position. "HEY! She's here finally!" She shouted rudely, immediately scrambling up to her feet and pointing a accusing finger at her.

Minato opened his bright blue eyes fully and turned his attention to the Sakura, who he just now spotted. He stopped leaning right away and stood up upright completely, his arms still crossed. "So she is. " Minato confirmed. His much calmer tone and reaction was a sharp contrast from his red-headed love beside him.

Sakura approached them finally, still feeling guilt eating at her for taking so long. She really didn't know why she blamed Naruto moments ago. It was her complete fault and she knew that. Habit, she guessed. A habit that needed to soon cease. " I'm sorry. I hope I didn't take too long." She said immediately, her tone apologetic.

" Don't worry. You did. " Kushina supplied unhelpfully, apparently ignorant of the bluntness in that statement. Sakura glared at her, almost deciding to not apologize for the insults she had thrown at the red-head the other day. _' Does she even deserve an apology? Come on, Sakura. Be the better person. You can say you're sorry. Don't let your temper get in the way today.' _The inner pep talk seemed to work for her and she managed to rein in her temper, stopping herself from a sharp scolding. Today wasn't the day for fighting. There was _never _a day for fighting at a time like this. She needed help, not enemies.

" It's not a problem. You aren't very late and besides, it's to be expected. " Minato assured, his tone much more gentle and welcoming. He stopped himself from glaring at Kushina as well, knowing that she genuinely wasn't trying to be rude for once. Besides that, he noticed the pinkette had looked angry for a second and if she was anything like Kushina ( If the other day was any indication, she was.) , it was best to not add any fuel to the fire. Minato also had no desire to have Kushina believe he was taking Sakura's side over hers. It was never true and he knew deep down, that that mistaken belief could easily hurt her feelings. She'd never admit it but she had a sensitive side that she rarely ever showed. He learned that in the six years he's known her.

Sakura gazed at him gratefully, feeling slight fondness for the future Hokage fill her. He was so kind and easygoing, she knew she could probably deal with him the most easily. Minato seemed respectful and good-natured, much like the old man Third Hokage was. With two people who treated her well and seemed to trust her enough, it made her feel more welcome in her lonely turmoil. It wasn't much but it was a good start. _' A lot different than Kushina, that's for sure.' _Sakura noted in slight annoyance. She was still amazed such two different people could get along so well and from what she'd seen so far, they appeared fairly close. _' Go figure.' _Sakura couldn't help thinking, failing to suppress her disbelief.

Minato then turned to Kushina expectantly, his face patient. " Aren't you going to say something, Kushina?"

Kushina crossed her arms, her expression completely clueless. " What? "

" You know. What we talked about earlier? " Minato pressed urgently.

A light went on inside Kushina's head and she immediately wished it didn't. She had to stop herself from scowling in displeasure, unwilling guilt coming back to haunt her. " I don't know what you're talking about. " Kushina said evasively, turning her face away from him and avoiding to meet his eyes, feigning innocence.

Minato sighed in exsasperation. " Kushina ... !" _' Yes you do!' _

Sakura eyed them in undisguised curiousity and confusion, trying to follow their vague conversation. Realization hit her a moment after and she immediately felt familar guilt as she recalled their argument the other day. _' Guilt. All I ever feel is guilt lately. I should though.' _Sakura chastied herself, not wanting to fall into another self-pitying mood.

" Oh, right. " Sakura called out loud, causing both Kushina and Minato to look at her inquiringly. She stepped briskly towards Kushina, who made a startled motion of stepping back from her a little, but she did not finish the movement. Her dark, navy-blue eyes were guarded and wary. " About yesterday ..."

Kushina tensed, watching her with suspicion. " What? " She prompted tersely. _' Be careful what you say, Sakura ... ' _Kushina challenged, daring her to say the wrong words. Her being her, she expected blame to come spewing from the young kunoichi's mouth. She could not help the natural distrust she felt for the girl that she had saved, especially after the hurtful comments she had said yesterday. She wasn't like Minato. He's all about trust and politeness and empathy. Sure she (unwillingly) sympathized thanks to him but she was far less inclined to show it off.

While Kushina was going through her cynical musings, Sakura took a deep breath. _' Here it goes. Swallow your pride. Be mature. You can do it.' _ Finally finding the strength to say the right words, she opened her mouth. " About yesterday. " She repeated. " I'm sorry for everything I said to you. You didn't really deserve it and I should never have said it. " She admitted.

Kushina's expression was one of unadultered surprise. Of all the things she anticipated, this wasn't one of them. _' She's actually apologizing first?! Who the hell woulda thought? ' _She couldn't help the shock she felt, especially a the genuine sincerity in the pinkette's voice. Not many people apologized for their messed up actions against her, save for Minato, unless she had to beat it out of them which she didn't really think counted. Her first impression of this girl was a loud-mouthed, no restraint bitch but maybe Minato was right. Maybe, _just _maybe ... this teenager actually did have a nice side.

Sakura stared at her, confused at the speechless silence her apology had created in the kunoichi. _' What's the matter with her? Don't people apologize to her? ' _She queried inwardly, not realizing her confused thoughts had hit the nail on the head. Minato was also silent but for a whole other reason. Smug satisfaction radiated from him that he was right and he found Kushina's surprise truly amusing. Thankfully for his sake, Kushina was too stunned to notice his pleasant reaction.

Sakura grew slightly concerned at the out of it expression Kushina had. Not able to take the silence any longer, she finally spoke up. " Kushina? You okay? " She asked worriedly.

" She's fine. " Minato said, clearly having fun at the moment.

At the sound of their voices, Kushina finally got out of her lapse of silenced shock. " R-Right. " She stammered. " I guess ... I guess ... " Minato looked her encouragingly, silently saying _' Remember? You promised, Kushina.' _ She sighed heavily. _ ' Damn. I'm so not good at saying sorry. It's just not my thing. But she deserves one so I have to. Can't be a bitch about it. ' _" Thanks. I ... sometimes do things I shouldn't do. Sorry, I guess. " She muttered sheepishly, cursing at how lame it sounded. She hoped Sakura would get the jest of it. She really was sorry.

Sakura looked grateful and relieved, not taking any offense by her reluctant and dragged out apology. Kushina looked sorry, even if she didn't completely sound like it. She wondered if the girl just wasn't good at expressing guilt. But either way, it didn't really matter. She apologized and Kushina pretty much did, more or less anyways. It was a step in the right direction as far as she was concerned. She wanted allies after all to help her return home. Maybe this annoying, loud red-head would become one. Maybe. _Big _maybe. " I forgive you. I'm glad that's all cleared up. " She said politely.

Kushina nodded grudgingly, still appearing a bit uncomfortable with all the _apologizing _going around. It seemed too mushy for her but she was happy that her guilt faded. Even more estatic that she didn't have to endure one of Minato's extremely annoying scoldings. She hated his goody-two shoes, know-it-all attitude but she fond of so many more things about him. His kindness, his forethought, his patience. It all attracted her somehow but she denied that she loved him. Love seemed stupid to her. She was independent! She didn't need depend on a weakness like love. Minato was wonderful in so many ways but she never tried to pry to much into her confusing feelings for him ever since he saved her from Kumo ninja. She was afraid of what she'd find there. Kushina, in truth, really didn't want to know the answer.

" So ... " Sakura began. " What are doing today? In this training area, I mean. " She asked curiously. Why _was _she here? She really wanted to know.

Minato of course, answered the young kunoichi's question. " Not very much today. " He admitted, slight disappointment creeping in his voice. He was always ready for a good misson. But Jiraiya-sensei was out traveling. _' Probably doing inappropriate, scandalous things knowing him. Like his rather ... intriguing books. ' _Minato realized in resignation. He'd never understand his teacher's lecherous ways but he was so used to it by now he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed anymore. His master was never going to change either and he'd have to endure it his entire life. _' I wish he was here though ... his support in helping Sakura would be a great asset. I wonder when he'll get back?' _Minato wondered. He hoped soon.

" Not a misson or anything? " Sakura pressed. As much as she hoped so, she doubted it.

" Of course not! " Kushina said, a touch of indignation in her voice. " You don't belong here, remember? In fact, you _just _landed here. The old man trusts you but not his advisors or anyone else either. 'Cept us. You'd have to stay here longer for that priviledge and I don't think you really want that. " She stated matter-of-factly.

" Oh, right. " Sakura replied glumly. She didn't really think she was anyway. It was just purely wishful thinking on her part, due to her reluctance to stay in a village that hated her. _' So what then? Just stay inside my plain, temperary apartment and look at scrolls the whole time trying to find a way home? Oh well. Hopefully I'll find something useful in the Konoha library._ ' On the bright side (amazingly, she found one in a increasingly depressing situation like this. ), she'll have a more time on her hands to look up information. She prayed she'd find something. _Anything _would be good.

" Unfortunately, I'm afraid Kushina's right. " Minato supplied, looking at her in sympathy. " It's gonna take time for the villagers to approve of you, especially given how decidedly vague Third Hokage is being with them. Until he finds a way to explain properly your special circumstances, this is how it's going to be. Remember, this village recently recovered from the Second Great Ninja War. " Minato reminded Sakura. " They wouldn't believe your story of being from the future and perhaps even question their leader's leniency. Not everyone approves of the Third Hokage. Some are against him and his beliefs. This could possibly cause disruption in the village or maybe even a rising up. That is to be avoided at all costs. " Minato finished. He really felt bad for Sakura and he acknowledged with complete clarity what she was going through. He didn't believe she deserved any of it. But it was the most reasonable option for now.

" What he said. Wouldn't want that, would we? " Kushina agreed, her sentence much more appreviated and simple than Minato's. She was never one for thought out answers, anyway.

" I know all of that. It's for the village and I don't want the Hokage to get in trouble for helping me. He doesn't deserve it. " Sakura replied immediately, but could not help feeling sad and wounded by her village's view of her. It was so much different than her own home. There she was respected and trusted as a gifted, beloved medic-nin. Here she was ... an outsider.

Kushina noticed right away her depressed expression and felt the foreign urge to cheer her up. " Aw, lighten up! You're not gonna be here for very long anyways, trust me. You'll be home in no time. " She said, forcing her tone to sound a bit annoyed. She didn't want Sakura to realize she actually felt sorry for her.

Sakura felt surprise for a second. _' Is she trying to cheer me up? She is, isn't she? ' _ She realized, touched in spite of herself. This young kunoichi suddenly didn't seem as horrible as she first thought. Maybe she should give her a chance. Sakura smiled at her in gratitude. " You're right! I'm not. " She said confidently, nodding at her in thanks.

" Anyways, though were not doing a misson together, we're not here for nothing. " Minato began. " Third Hokage requested us to do a training session with you. Just so you have something to do for today. Tommorrow or better yet today, we'll search through the Konoha archives to see if anything useful comes up. " He assessed, recalling what the Third had ordered to him earlier this morning.

" Training session, huh? " Sakura repeated, a smile widely curving her lips. Maybe today won't be as terrible and boring as she thought it would. Granted, not a actual mission but close enough. She was itching for a good fight.

* * *

Present: Fifth Hokage, Tsunade

Tsunade paced back and forth in an agitated manner, her heels _click-clocking _on the ground every step. She was far too restless and impatient to actually sit down. Shizune was watching her mentor, a look of helplessness and concern clouding her facial features. The black-haired woman was worried sick about Sakura herself. The younger medic was like her little sister but she knew nothing she could say to Tsunade would calm her.

" Where in the hell is the search party?! It can't be taking them this long! " Tsunade snapped angrily, her nerves slashed apart completely in her worried, frenized state. The Kazekage had sent word out from one of his village messengers the day before, informing her that they hadn't recieved the scroll containing Madara's secrets. To put it frankly, she had intially wanted to believe Sakura was just delayed but for a whole week? It was unlike her to take that long on just about anything. _' God damnit, Sakura. What the hell did you do? ' _Tsunade questioned inwardly, worry and fear clouding her mind.

" Lady Tsunade, please calm down. I'm sure there almost here. Sakura's fine, I'm postive. " Shizune said a bit panicky, raising her hands in a calming gesture. She needed to do everything she could to calm her master, even if it probably didn't work.

" Spare me the false assurances, Shizune. I'm not some child! " Tsunade retorted, not being able to stop herself from lashing out at Shizune. She was too irrational at the moment to care about hurting someone's feelings. She didn't want comfort or empty words! She wanted facts. Hard evidence that Sakura was fine .

" Y-yes I know that. " The black-haired woman agreed meekly. " But it's not good for you to get worked up like this. Please, just-"

Before Shizune could finish her pleadings or even Tsunade could fire back a sharp, emotion-driven comment, the tent opened and three people stepped into her office: Kiba, Neji, Hinata, and lastly, Shikamaru. To Tsunade's horror, all of them looked depressingly solemn.

" What is it? Tell me. Did you find anything? A hint, even. Is Sakura alright? Where on earth is she? " Tsunade fired out immediately. _' Don't tell me she's ... ' _ Tsunade's thought process trailed away. She couldn't even bring herself to finish that horrifying thought.

All of them looked at each other, silently saying some unspoken message between them. Shikamaru was the one who got straight to the point. " There wasn't much, Lady Hokage. There wasn't a trace of Sakura there. At least, nothing that would help the situation. " He said bluntly.

" I picked up her scent, though. " Kiba admitted. " It wasn't fresh or anything but it was there. Sakura made it halfway en route towards the Sand Village before ... " Kiba trailed off in a frown, remembering the weirdest part of search party yet.

" What is it!? Spit it out, already! " Tsunade spat impatiently. _' I swear! I kill one of them if they drag this out any longer! ' _She thought irrationally. With her state of mind right now, she fully believed she was capable of it.

" Her scent disappeared suddenly. Like it was never there to begin with. " Kiba finished, confusion heard thickly in his voice. " That never happens unless there was a rainfall and there definitely wasn't the past week. I don't get it. "

" But we did find some evidence of what transpired. Very little and not exactly good news but still something. " Neji said.

" What was it? " Tsunade questioned urgently.

" U-um. " Hinata spoke up hesitantly, looking incredibly upset and disheartened. " There was a huge crater in the ground. Sakura-san's move I'm sure ... and ... and there was signs of battle. " She finished lamely, her quiet voice worried.

Tsunade was silent, her arms hanging limply at her sides. The silence stretched out for so long that the group inside began to wonder what was going through her head. Nothing good, they were sure.

" Someone ... _did _something to her? " Tsunade asked finally, her voice deathly quiet.

" Well, it seems to appear that way. " Shikamaru confirmed uneasily, fear at the Hokage's sudden lapse of quietness. He thought for a moment, he actually preferred it if Tsunade would be raging right now. Because _this _... this completely petrified him. " But we don't know for sure. "

Tsunade was quiet again. " I see ... "

" Lady Tsunade ... " Shizune began worriedly. She knew what this meant. _' Oh this is not good ... in more ways than just her reaction. ' _She thought, fear and worry finally enveloping her as well.

As Shizune expected, Tsunade completely snapped. She spun on her heel so fast you could barely follow her. With a deafening crack, Tsunade punched a hole in her desk, completely splitting it in half and creating a large crater around the permiter of her desk. " DAMNNIT!" She shouted, her rough voice filled with such fury it was almost palpable. " Of all the times! I'll _kill _the bastard when I find him! I'll wring his damn neck until he begs me stop! I'll crush every bone and puncture every organ in his body until he he bleeds out! " Tsunade roared, fury and grief vibrating throughout her entire body, so much so her frame was trembling with emotion.

Shizune turned to the Chunins and Jonin still inside the room, watching their Hokage's emotional breakdown in horror and sadness. " I think it's best you go. Lady Tsunade is in no shape to talk to you more about the search party. Maybe tommorrow. " The older woman ordered in finality, tilting her head to the exit.

" Yes, you're right. " Neji responded, the normally expressionless Hyuuga looking equally startled as his companions. " Come along now. " He said to his group, who acquiescesed immediately, not wanting to watch the terrible scene in front of them any longer. All except Hinata, who was frozen to the spot. Her large, pale eyes even wider than usual. She was unable to tear her eyes away from the Hokage's reaction. She always acted so strong around everyone else that seeing such a show was heartbreaking!

" Come on, Lady Hinata. It's best to leave them be. " He said gently, putting his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Hinata jumped slightly, turning to her cousin, eyes still wide. " R-right. I'm sorry. " The gentle Hyuga apologized, her expression completely miserable.

Neji said nothing and lead her to the exit, leaving the Hokage to break down alone and Shizune to comfort her. Only she could do it well. The tent flap closed with a _'Whish!' _behind them.

Shizune watched the cousins exit for a second, before turning to her teacher, her delicate features twisted in concern. " Lady Tsunade, please calm down. We don't know what happened to Sakura yet. For all we know, she could be alive and well somewhere. Maybe out hiding. Healing her wounds. " Shizune reasoned desperately, wanting to do anything to calm the votatile, older kunoichi in front of her.

Tsunade stood up from her crouching position. " I refuse. "

Shizune looked at her in hopelessly. " What do you mean? "

Tsunade turned to face her, face stern and stubborn. " I refuse to believe Sakura is dead. She's far too strong to allow herself to be killed that easily. No matter what anyone says, I refuse! " She insisted furiously.

" And that's good. We shouldn't give up. We'll keep looking for her Lady Tsunade, I swear. " Shizune agreed immediately, trying make her voice sound hopeful. She didn't want to believe it, either. Sakura gone forever ... she could never bear that thought almost as much as Tsunade. _' We'll find you, Sakura. We will. Just please ... let us find you alive. ' _She closed her eyes tightly for a second, holding onto that thought like a prayer.

" Shizune ... please leave me be for now. Inform Kakashi to lead a squad of tracking Jonin tommorrow to look for Sakura first thing in the morning. " Tsunade ordered firmly, unable to stop the tiredness that creeped into her voice. It doesn't very Hokage-like to her but at this point ... she just couldn't bring herself to care.

Shizune gazed at her, grief and sympathy reflected in her black coal orbs. " Understood, Lady Tsunade. " She replied quietly before turning to the entrance. " And don't worry. We'll replace your desk again tommorrow. " She added, casting a sidelong glance at the master. She knew she didn't actually care about her desk at the moment but she felt like telling something even remotely normal might make herself feel a bit better.

Tsunade almost let out a bitter laugh but stopped herself from before she did. _' My desk? Like I care about that right now. ' _She thought in false amusement. She watched Shizune's retreating black-and-white form until her makeshift office was completely bare of everyone except her. Tsunade closed her eyes, feeling every drop of her strength, emotionally and physically, leave her. Her legs felt weak, causing them to buckle. She fell to her knees immediately, landing on the floor a foot away from the hole she created. Her chair was also split in half from the force of her punch. That also needed to be replaced, she guessed.

Rumaging blindly on the floor, she found her sake bottle which amazingly, was the one thing kept intact. Finding it's contents unspilled, she pulled out the cork and drank it down right away, wanting her sense of hopelessness and grief be washed away but the sake, at least temperarily. _' Sakura ... please don't die on me. I'm the one who's supposed to die before you, remember? I've lost far too many people already ... don't add to that list. I don't think I'd be able to handle it anymore ..._

* * *

26 years earlier: Sakura Haruno, Kushina Uzumaki, & Minato Namikaze

Sakura swiftly dodged the ninja stars thrown at her, quickly throwing some of her own at the red-head she was currently sparring with. Kushina spotted it immediately and deflected most of them with a kunai. The three she did miss however, were avoided with a graceful, high backflip. Landing silently on her feet, Kushina smirked at her. " You have to do better than that, Sakura. " She crowed confidently.

" Don't worry. I did. " Sakura shot back, her emerald eyes gleaming with enjoyment and smugness.

" Huh? " She said, confused.

" Kushina, behind you! " Minato shouted in warning. Kushina heard and swivelled her head to the side, seeing the punch that was aimed at her back. She reacted quickly and blocked the punch, realizing immediately the danger that hit could bring. Kushina kicked out with her leg, hitting her target solidly. Feeling the painful hit, Sakura backed off and flipped behind her. She was slightly injured but looked undoubtably pissed off. The Shadow Clone that had thrown the stars had already dispelled long ago.

Sakura looked indignantly at Minato. " You aren't supposed to help her, remember?! " She shouted in annoyance to the future Hokage. " That punch would have hit her! "

" You're not supposed to help me, Minato! " Kushina echoed, her fists raised, looking just as angry as Sakura. " This is _my _fight, remember? You said you'd stay out of it. " She mentioned. " I can take care of myself, dattebane! "

Minato raised his hands up in surrender, not at all surprised that he had ruffled the hot-tempered kunoichs's pride. " Sorry, sorry. Just trying to help. "

" Well, don't! " Kushina and Sakura said simultaneuously, causing both of the kunoichi to glare at each other in annoyance.

" Right, right. " Minato replied flippantly. " Just please don't kill each other. " He added easily.

Kushina scoffed at his remark. Sakura looked irritated. " As if we would! " Sakura muttered, annoyed that he had to get involved. It just wasn't fair. It was like fighting two instead of one. She didn't have someone else with her which is why she decided to go one on one with Kushina. It was surprisingly ... fun. So far they seemed like a even match.

" Whatever! Let's just getting back to the fighting already. " Kushina stated bluntly, swiftly charging at Sakura. She formed several hand signs before shouting " Water Style: Raging Wave! " A gush of water came flowing out of her mouth, hurdling right at Sakura. She looked startled at this for a second. _' So she's a Water Style user, huh ? Funny. I thought it'd be fire. ' _She mused briefly, before evading the offending jutsu coming towards her location. The water jutsu hit the ground mere seconds after she dodged, carving a deep scar in the landscape. _' That was a close one. She's good. ' _Sakura admitted, genuinely impressed.

Jumping up high in the air, Sakura swung down with the heel of her boot to Kushina's position. " SHANNARO!" Sakura screeched, shocking Kushina who looked up in surprise. _' A heel kick?! Like that'd do anything to me! Is she stupid?' _She couldn't help thinking in distain, absolutely positive the kick would be absolutely useless. Confidently, she moved a bit from the kick when it landed only to face the most unexpected thing she ever thought would happen.

The kick _hurt _her. It barely grazed her leg but it hurt like hell, much more than just a ordinary attack. But that wasn't what bothered her. Sure it hurt her pride a bit but what her eyes now saw was ... unbelievable. The one heel kick had caused such a gigantic crater, it was over 7 feet wide across. _' Are you kidding me?! That girl's a monster! I wish I knew how to do that. ' _Kushina couldn't help the awe and envy she felt directed at the pink-haired kunoichi. Carrying such monster strength would come in handy for her when she was beating up Inoichi or other stupid fools would dare to call her _Tomato_.

Minato, on the other hand (who had previously been just as convinced as Kushina herself was that the attack would be nothing too threatening), had a comical expression of stunned disbelief. _ ' I've never seen just powerful brute strength from kunoichi before ... except Tsunade-sensei, Jiraiya-sensei's scary teammate. Impressive. Sakura might be even more frightening than Kushina! ' _Minato blanched at that realization, sweat drops dripping down the side of his face. Very few things in the world scared him as much as Kushina did, save for Tsunade. _' I have to be careful to not get on Sakura's bad side. She could actually put me in a hosptial if I'm not careful enough. ' _He noted cautiously, being sure to never forget that fact as long as Sakura stayed here.

Sakura pulled her foot out of the ground, a smug expression plastered on her face as she observed her opponent's dumbfounded look. She looked Kushina over to see if she had caused any wounds. Her eyes landed on the awkward angle her left leg was at, blood dripping down her it in thin lines. _' So I did land a hit, after all. Looks like I broke a few bones in her leg from the angle. ' _Sakura assessed professionally. She'd be sure to heal it once their sparring was done.

Kushina was now rubbing her left leg, a dull, annoying pain pulsing throughout it. " Lucky shot. " She muttered grudgingly, slightly glowering at Sakura for landing such a good blow on her leg.

Sakura smirked in reply before walking over to her. " Didn't I tell you? I know how to infuse chakra in my punches and kicks to make my blows 20x more powerful than normal ones. I learned it from my teacher. " She informed her, still smiling happily.

" No, you didn't. You should've told me, you know -dattebane. " Kushina muttered angrily. Why in the hell did she have to hit her leg? It was so ... so damn embarassing!

Sakura frowned briefly. _' She did it again. She said dattebane. ' _ That again reminded her of what she had wanted to figure out earlier. In all her apologizing and guilt she had been feeling today combined with the excitement of her fight with Kushina, she had completely forgotten about it. _' Is she actually related to Naruto? I'll figure it today. If not today, then soon at least. ' _Shaking away her curious thoughts for now, she regained her smile, this time a teasing one. " That'd take the fun out of it, wouldn't it? You know now, right? That's good enough. "

" No, it's not. " Kushina argued childishly. " I think you broke my whole leg! It hurts a whole lot! " She complained loudly, gesturing to her still bleeding leg. Sure, she's been through much worse than this and she probably will be again in the future. If she was honest with herself, it wasn't so much the wound that bothered her. It was the fact that she _let _it happen. _ ' I was supposed to kick her ass today! Prove how strong was! Not get hit by a stupid kick. ' _ Kushina thought. _ ' She better feel sorry about this! ' _

Sakura glared at her, completely and utterly annoyed with Kushina's immaturity. _Just _when she was starting to like her, she just _had_ to complain and be annoying as hell. Kami, it gave her headaches! Naruto was enough to deal with back at home and now here too? She sighed heavily in frustration before kneeling down beside Kushina. " Would you just shut up, already? " She snappped, not finding the will to not express her current displeasure. " You'll live. You're not dying or nothing so stop complaining, alright? "

The red-head stared back at her angrily, unsatisfied with the pinkette's lack of guilt over injurying her. " What did you say?!" She challenged, her voice still as confident as ever despite the wounds and bruises littered over her body.

" You heard me. You're acting like a little kid! " Sakura scolded. " You're acting like Naruto. He's always complaining over stupid things like this. " She added, not realizing she had mentioned her blonde-haired teammate at all. " And no, your whole leg isn't broken. Just a few broken bones. Maybe some fractures, too. Nothing too severe for a ninja. "

Before Kushina threw back a impressive protest at Sakura's instinctive scolding of her behavior, the insult died on her lips. _' Maybe she's right a little bit. I am acting a little childish, I guess. But so what? She's acting like she's more mature than I am! Yeah, right! I'm still pissed at her. ' _Kushina decided, chosing to just glare at her a bit. " How do you know all that stuff anyway from just a glance? " She grumbled.

Sakura glanced at her in slight annoyance again. " Medical ninja, remember? I'm trained to know all of this. You can trust my judgement, okay?" She reminded her. " Now just shut up and let me heal you. This is taking too long already. " Sakura requested, her tone clipped and impatient.

Kushina grumbled something incoherently that Sakura didn't even want to bother to make out of but raised no further complaints. " Aren't you going to heal yourself first?" She questioned, sounding slightly less rude. Sakura had her own wounds (which Kushina somehwhat smugly noted were all from her), bruises and bleeding areas on her as well.

She didn't look up, her emerald green eyes focused in concentration as she channelled her remaining chakra into her hands. " My injuries can wait. You have to be treated first. " Sakura said simply, as her green healing chakra glowed her hands.

Just then, as Sakura applied her chakra to Kushina's most serious injury (which was of course of her leg), Minato finally approached the two Chunins. " Kushina! Are you alright? " He asked, concern and worry clear in his tone.

Kushina felt annoyance tug at her for Minato's overworrying but some part of her felt touched at his concern for her. Of course, annoyance won. " I'm fine, Minato. Quit worrying already! I can handle myself just fine, -dattebane. I'm not some first rate Genin, -dattebane. " Kushina muttered, realizing with slight confusion that Sakura had tensed when she had said her common (yet annoying in Kushina's eyes) verbal tic but otherwise gave no outward sign of distraction from her healing.

" I know that, Kushina. But I worry about you, you know. Sakura seemed to get in a few good hits. " Minato mentioned, his voice concerned.

" Hey! So did I! " Kushina shouted indigantly. " It was a tie and you know it, -dattebane! " She argued. How dare Minato undermine her blows?!

" Right. Sorry Kushina. " Minato apologized sheepishly. He should've known Kushina would take his concern the wrong way. She always did, like he was seeing her as weak or something. That was the last thing he saw Kushina as. She was one of the strongest people he's ever known. But of course, she would take almost any choice of words the wrong way at times.

Sakura moved her green chakra above to Kushina's adomen, letting the cooling chakra do it's work. " She's alright. Just some cracked ribs and minor lacerations on her arms. The fractures to her leg is already healed and so are most of the small cuts to her legs. I'll be done with her in a few more minutes. " She informed.

" Right. " Minato agreed, rather impressed with this teenager's complete focus and the professional, simple way she discussed the wounds. He could already tell she was incredibly skilled medic. _' She really does remind me of Tsunade-sensei ... I wonder if she's a future student of hers? ' _Minato wondered, intrigued by that thought. It would explain the unnatural strength, chakra control, and healing abilities. _' I'll have to ask her at some point. ' _He decided. But that time was not now. He had to be somewhere. " I have to meet the Hokage right now. I believe he wanted me to debrief today's training session. " He told them.

" Okay, I guess. Bye Minato. See you tommorrow? " Kushina asked him, her tone hopeful.

Minato smiled at her. " Count on it. " He confirmed.

" We'll be fine here. Go tell the Hokage. " Sakura pressed kindly. He didn't have to stay if he was needed elsewhere. She could finish up here and then go home.

Minato nodded in answer before turning the other way but not before casting a glance over his shoulder, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. " Oh and remember. Don't kill each other while I'm gone, okay? " He reminded them playfully, not stopping himself from riling them up a bit.

Sakura clenched her teeth in annoyance. " Alright! We get it, already! Stop with the whole 'killing each other' thing. "

Kushina looked irritated as well. " Yeah. It's annoying! " She agreed. "We're not _that _bad. " She argued, slightly miffed.

Sakura and Kushina turned to the blonde-haired Jonin, only to see him already disappeared. The pinkette sighed heavily. " Damn Yellow Flash ... " She grumbled. She had heard that he had the uncanny ability to just disappear out of nowhere. At the time she had been awed but now seeing it in action and in this situation, she was just annoyed by it.

" Got that right. " Kushina muttered in agreement. " Try dealing with it for as long as I have. " She added in resigned irritation.

" I can imagine. " Sakura replied sympathatically. She didn't really think she'd have the patience to deal with his little 'disappearing acts'. She doubted even Kushina did, from what little she knew of her. Finally finishing off her arms, she removed her hands. She still had some cuts left but the bleeding had ceased and were barely noticable now. _' Now time to heal myself and go home. ' _Sakura checked, relieved. She was tired and even the plain bed that wasn't even her own seemed fairly welcoming right now.

Kushina rubbed her arms, checking to see if the deep cut on it was gone. It was. " That was ... nice of you. I feel a lot better now. " She forced herself to say, realizing how awkward that sounded. She really didn't like to say things like that but she really felt like Sakura deserved it. She didn't seem as bitchy as she first thought.

The pinkette was currently healing the gash on her knee and looked at the red-head beside her. " You're welcome. It's my job, after all. " She said, smiling a bit.

She nodded. A small silence settled between them before Kushina suddenly recalled what Sakura had said to her earlier _' When she was being all annoying and scolding me like it was her job to, she mentioned someone. What was it again? ' _Kushina wondered, scrunching her face up in concentration. _' Oh right! She mentioned 'Naruto'. Sounds like something related to ramen. ' _ She reflected. She actually kind of liked that name. It reminded her of ramen of course which she guessed was partly the reason but it seemed ... unique and a strong name. _' I wonder who she was talking about? I think I'll ask her. ' _ She decided firmly. Sakura was now healing her shoulder, enjoying the companionable silence between them. But it didn't last long as the question Kushina fired back at her took her completely off guard. " Hey ... who's Naruto? "

Sakura's eyes widened in shock and she gazed at her. " Huh? " She said, too surprised to say anything else right now. _' How she does know that name? I didn't mention him, did I? ' _She wondered, slight panic attacking her.

" Yeah. You mentioned some guy named Naruto when you were arguing with me a little while ago. That he complained a lot or something. " Kushina recited, her navy-blue eyes genuinely curious.

" Oh, right. That. " Sakura began awkwardly. _ ' I did. Great going, Sakura. What's next? Third Hokage getting killed by Orochimaru? ' _Sakura thought angrily. Why did she have to make such a stupid, completely avoidable mistake? _This _was how problems get created. She would have slapped herself but Kushina's presence stopped her.

" Come one! You can tell me at least that, can you? You're just telling me about a person right, not a event. What could that change? " Kushina reasoned logically. She _really _wanted to know.

Sakura sighed slightly, inwarding cursing her luck. _' No getting out of this one. I guess I have to tell her or Kushina would just keep bothering me about it! Besides, maybe telling her will get my mind off a things. ' _Sakura sighed again and looked at the red-headed kunoichi's expectant face. " Right. Naruto's ... well, he's my teammate. Like I said earlier, he complains a lot, does stupid things, and goofs off all the time. And he's _so _painfully unserious it's ridiculous! Nothing ever phases that guy. " She said, recalling all of his more annoying traits first. " I literally have to keep a leash on him. No one else ever does it so I have to be the one to do it. Or at least ... my way works better. " Sakura corrected, remembering how Naruto would always immediately listen to _her _much better than anyone else, be it through hits or sharp words.

Kushina's eyes widened again in surprise. " So he's that person you were talking about the other day? That rude person you said you pretty much handle all the time. " She queried, greatly fasinated by Sakura's relationship with this Naruto.

" That's him. " The pinkette confirmed. " It's tiring at times but after being on the same squad with Naruto for years, I'm used to watching over him or scolding him when he does something dumb. It's not really his fault. Usually, anyways. But _someone _needs to correct him when he's doing something wrong. It has to be me. " Sakura said in finality. She looked away from her for a moment, a fond light entering her eyes that surprised Kushina. " Yeah, he's the biggest baka I've ever meet. " She said, but the smile on her face did match her harsh words. " But Naruto has a lot of good qualities about him, much more than his bad ones even if they're sometimes more obvious. I didn't realize it at first. I even used to hate him at one point. ' Sakura admitted sadly. " But he's strong, stubborn, determined, confident and most of all, he's always nice to everyone. He's sweet, clumsy but gentle and thoughtful, in his own baka way. " Sakura continued, strong feelings of affection for her best friend welling up inside him. " He's always there for me, supporting me and helping me when I'm upset. That's why I decided. " Sakura stated much more firmly, determination glittering in her emerald eyes. " That I'll be there for _him. _Help him in any way possible. No matter what. I could never make it up to him for what he did for me. But I'm gonna try. " Sakura finished her emotional rant, just now realizing that the talkative kunoichi beside her had not said a single word the entire time. She turned curiously to the red-head beside her.

Kushina was shocked to put it bluntly. Just a few moments ago, she was convinced that Sakura wasn't close to Naruto at all. She had immediately and without hesitance listed his most unbearable traits. Not a single sign of regret was seen in her when she had called out his, according to her, faults that apparently almost always annoyed her. But then she had did a complete one-eighty, describing numerous qualities that she apparently loved. The fondness and unadultered affection in her gaze was so vivid and strong, it had stunned her. The emotion and devotion in her tone was unmistakable. " Wow, Sakura. " Kushina stated lamely.

Sakura looked at her curiously. " What? " She questioned. She truly didn't understand Kushina's reaction. He was Naruto. That's all. She was just describing him to her, personality-wise.

" You really have strong feelings for Naruto, don't you? " Kushina asked, though it sounded less like a question and more like a statement. Even as dense as she herself was, she could clearly tell Sakura's feelings for her teammate were more than just friendship. It couldn't be more obvious to her and she was notoriously slow by nature.

Sakura looked indignant. " Of course I do! He's my best friend, after all. " She said matter-of-factly. She'd give her life for Naruto. Her life would never be the same if she lost him from her life forever, whether because she was stuck in this time or if he had died a horrible death. _' He's just my friend. I don't love Naruto. I don't, right?_ It_ can't be. It's so different then my feelings for Sasuke. ' _

Kushina shook her head. " That isn't what I meant, you know. You know it too. " She replied sagely. Before Sakura could sputter out a startled protest and immediately deny what she was trying to tell her, the red-head stood up to her feet. " I'm tired. I'm gonna go home now. " Kushina said to her bluntly, feeling the urge to change the topic. Things like love and romance really just wasn't her thing. Sleeping right now was.

Sakura got to her feet too, having finished healing herself long before. " R-right. Me too. " She agreed, feeling her emotions rattled uncomfortably by Kushina's indications. _' Maybe bringing up Naruto wasn't such a good idea after all. ' _Like always, it only brought up more questions she just couldn't answer. Or maybe she just didn't want to. She wasn't sure.

" Anyways, I'll probably see you soon. Minato brought up something about looking through the Konoha library to look at scrolls to send you back home. Hate the library but it's for you so ... '" Kushina didn't finish her statement. Instead she turned in the opposite direction. " See ya! " Kushina called before disappearing just as quickly.

" Bye. " Sakura called much more quietly before turning in the direction to her apartment. Sleep was what she wanted too. Especially after unexpected turn her conversation with Kushina had taken. Her mind in a confused state of turmoil, she walked home as the sunset stained the sky as blood-red as Kushina's long, flowing hair.

* * *

**A/N: **Incredibly long chapter people XD. I feel I owed it to you for being a week late in my update, even though I had a perfectly valid excuse ;P. I loved this chapter too. The subtle Kushina/Sakura bonding was fun to write, especially during their sparring match in the Training Field. I thought about involving Minato but I realized it just wouldn't be fair XD. Besides, Kushina vs. Sakura one on one is cool! And the funniest part to me was when Kushina was playing " I spy" XD and Sakura getting annoyed at Kushina's childish complaining :P. But poor, poor Tsunade :(. Overall, I feel this is a good chapter but I'll see what you goes think :). And also, if you ever want to see the exact dates for my updates, just look at my profile ;)

_**Feedback is great to read! I love it! :D**_


	9. Chapter 9: Seeking Answers

**A/N:** Hello, loyal readers XD. Chapter 9 up as promised. This chapter isn't much but it does include Sakura finally seeking answers to find a way back home, meet more past faces, and more bonding of the main relationships so far :P. And again, I cannot thank you guys enough for supporting my first fanfic so much. I'm so grateful :). I managed to find some time to update this week, despite the English research paper I have to do for my English class this weekend on Emily Dickinson. Honestly, I enjoyed writing this chapter more XD.

**Anyway, Chapter below ... :P**

_Constructive critizism is always appreciated. :)_

* * *

Seeking Answers & Turbulent Obstacles

Kushina lay splayed across her bed, navy-blue eyes staring up dully at the ceiling. She felt particularly lazy at the moment, which was uncharacteristic of her personality. Today was the day she was supposed to help Sakura with finally starting her search to find a way back home. _' And that means ... being in a library. I'd almost rather die. ' _She grumbled innerly. It wasn't like she was a terrible reader or anything. Actually, it was one of the only things in the Academy that had come natural to her. But dull, boring books or scrolls bored the hell out of her. It could never keep her attention ( which she was once told by Shinosuke was because of her occassionally short attention span) and she'd much rather be training or fighting someone. Unfortunately, most of her skills during her Academy days were pretty poor. She had never been a prodigy, not like Minato anyway. Which was also why her marks were not something to be proud of.

_ ' What was I talking about again? Oh, right. Konoha library. Yay. ' _ She just didn't want to go. Minato could be buried in books for hours and not budge at all. He had even (shockingly) blocked her out a few times while doing so, which had promptly stirred up words of protest and indignantion from her. Libraries just were not something she was drawn to, sort of like her hatred of hospitals ( Though she hated the latter more than the former). On normal circumstances, she would be completely stubborn and nothing Minato could _ever _say to her would make her go. Oh, she did go a few times. But when Minato ended up ignoring her (He always claimed it wasn't intentional but sometimes she wondered), she had promptly renounced going to that damn place for good, much to her best friend's dismay. But this situation was by no means normal and she _did _have conscience. _' Nothing's normal lately. My feelings for Minato and now a time traveller. Kami help me. I feel like I'm going crazy. ' _To think she had saved a girl from the future and was now stuck in helping her. Now there's something you don't see every day.

But if she was honest with herself completely, she actually wanted to help Sakura. Minato stirred guilt and pity in her true but she no longer resented it anymore. Her pride seemed to have healed over (Partly. It was still wounded from the training session with the pinkette the other day) and she was beginning to ... well, I guess _understand _her a bit more. _' I can't believe I'm admitting this ... Sakura still seems bossy and irritating. How in the world can I bond with someone like that? ' _Kushina truly didn't understand it but she felt a brief, miniscual spark of bonding with the young medic-nin. Like she, for a _moment_, actually liked her. _' No way. I DO NOT like Pinky at all. She's too ...! Too ... unbearable! I don't care what Minato says. I'm nothing like her at all. ' _ She denied vehemently, refusing to believe her favorite blonde. He wasn't always right like he himself admitted and he wasn't right here. That's for a certain.

Kushina still had no desire to be her friend and did not feel she could relate to her. In fact, she refused to. But there was one thing she could not deny about Sakura. The girl had been through a lot and held an unwavering devotion to the people she left behind. Kushina grudgingly admired her stubborness to not give up and fall into hopelessness. Frankly, she hated pessimestic, unconfident people. It always had the affect of bringing her cheerful dispostion down and she never liked that. She knew Sakura didn't deserve to be dealt such a hand in a confusing place like this and if she were in her position, she'd be equally as upset. That's why she felt the desire to help. She was the one that saved her life so consequently, Sakura was _her _responsiblity. Not anyone elses', not even Minato.

_' Responsiblity. I really hate that word. That's Minato's thing, not mine. ' _Kushina thought in mild disgust. It's why she could never be the Hokage, even though she once declared that she would be the first female Hokage when she migrated to Konoha. She wanted acceptance, especially during her loneliness before she met Minato. But the duties of keeping the upkeep of the villagers and those stuffy advisors ( She saw them once. Seemed like boring, uptight people that would critize her decisions all the time. Just from looking at them, she knew she would often have the urge to bash their faces in), she didn't have the patience to deal with it. It would ruin her light-heartedness and burden her with stress. Kushina wanted freedom. She was a free-spirit and being a Hokage would complicate that. _' Besides, Minato's dream is to be the Hokage. Unlike me, he was actually serious when he said that. He has the potential: First of all he's patient, responsible, polite, and really smart. He's much more qualified for that than me. I KNOW he'll be the Hokage._ _And I'll be there too. Minato will be great. '_ Kushina thought, a happy smile dawning on her face. Pride and fondness constricted her chest when she invisoned his great future. Whatever she thought of him at first, that he was flaky or unreliable, she couldn't be more wrong. Whatever she felt for him, she knew one thing: Minato would be Hokage. That thought made her happy and excited for him

Kushina sighed and sat up on her bed. Her mind wandered back to Sakura. She didn't want to like her still and she didn't think they'd get along. But that Uchiha who beat her up so bad deserved a ass-kicking from someone, preferably Kushina herself. She scowled in anger as she thought of the unnamed Uchiha bastard. _' I'm still gonna keep my word, Sakura. I'll help you anyway I can, just because what happened to you was uncalled for. You're a innocent shinobi and no one deserves to be attacked and thrown into some dumb travel to the past. ' _Truthfully, that was her motivation. Sympathy for Sakura and her own strong sense of justice. She needed help and that's what she was going to get. They just weren't going to be friends. _' Still ... maybe I should be a bit nicer to her today. I don't wanna get lectured by Minato and besides, I shouldn't start fights. Remember her circumstances, Kushina. Just remember your pity and everything will be fine . ' _Kushina recited, closing her eyes.

The red-head sighed again, bracing herself for the unbearable torture of the library would bring to her. No matter how much she wanted out of it, her resolve to aide Sakura would not waver. Finally heaving herself off her twin-bed, Kushina dressed in her typical ninja gear: shuriken holsters, long-sleeved black shirt with chest area markedly gray (lined with red on the top), very dark gray spandex that ended at her knees and other shinobi necessessities. She lightly brushed out her distinctive, long red locks and fastened her black Konoha head-band to her head proudly. Fixing her a bit and making sure her yellow hair clip stayed put to hold back her bangs, she strutted out of her room down to the kitchen area.

There, Kushina found her mother slaving away in the kitchen, making breakfast as the sun peaked over the horizon, streaking over the horizon. Her mother seemed completely focused on her cooking, so much so that she completely blocked out her daughter's approach at first

" Hey, Mom." Kushina greeted nonchalantly, seating herself at the dining table.

Her mother turned to her, surprised. " Oh, Kushina. You're awake, already." Her mother acknowledged happily. " I'm surprised you woke up. You don't have a misson today, do you? " She queried.

Kushina shrugged. " Don't know. Maybe I'll get called on a misson with Eri-sensei and my teammates later but I'm not up because of that. " She reiterated.

" You hate mornings, Kushina. I know you wouldn't get up without a good reason. " Her mother stated matter-of-factly, a look of confusion on her features. However, she continued to work on the eggs she was making, not wanting to burn anything stupidly.

" Got that right. " Her daughter exclaimed, a slight frown on her face. " But I have no choice. Minato and I have to help Sakura go to the library to find ... reasearch. " Kushina corrected, barely stopping herself from revealing Sakura's secret.

Her mother, dubbed Akana Uzumaki, was a woman of slim figure. She was athletic and appeared delicate from appearance. However, she was strong and a force to be reckoned with despite her small height of 5'3. Kushina shared many physical attributes with her mother. She had inherited her mother's pale skin tone and red hair, a common trademark of the Uzumaki Clan. However, unlike her daughter, Akana's red hair was not nearly as flashy and bright as Kushina's. Hers was much a much more duller, paler shade of red. Also, it was cropped much shorter; at average shoulder length with unruly strands that marked her bangs. They were not neatly kept like her daughter's was, with a clip or without. Another difference of between the two was, though both of them shared very dark-colored eyes, Akana's were the beautiful color of stormy gray, akin to that of storm clouds during a rainfall. Kushina's mother was also not wearing ninja gear, instead a light blue apron and a gray vest-like shirt under it, complete with zipper. It was the frequent look of a housewife or retired ninja.

Akana placed the now finished eggs on a dish and did not respond to Kushina's odd statement, competely absorbed in her task. She delicately placed a rice ball she had finished making eariler on the plate as well before putting it in front of her daughter. " Eat. I was making it for myself but you're gonna need your strength if you're going to be doing stuff today. " The pale red-head's voice was kind and loving, it having a soft undertone to it opposed to Kushina's more often than not brash voice.

She looked at her gratefully before accepting the plate and beginning her intake of breakfast. " Thanks, Mom. "

Her mother smiled at her. " So, library? " She asked, smirking. She knew all too well her daughter's dislike of libraries.

" Ugh. Don't remind me. " Kushina retorted in annoyance, talking uncaringly with her mouth open. " I don't _want _to go but I promised myself that I'd help Sakura with her 'problems'. " She put air quotes and emphasis on problems. " She's a real pain. The crap I have to go through! You wouldn't believe it. "

Akana narrowed her gray eyes, obviously displeased. " Sakura, eh? Isn't she that strange teen that Lord Hokage took in? The one that you saved, right? "

The younger red-head nodded her head, still gulping down her eggs. " Unfortunately. She's so loud and bossy! She acts like I need to be disciplined or something. It's annoying. " Kushina said. Maybe she was exaggerating her annoyance with the pinkette a little bit but she just felt like doing it. She wanted to list all the reasons why she _should _never be Sakura's friend.

" There are people like that in life, Kushina. You'll have to get used to it. It is tiring but at times, you need to be scolded for your actions. You know that. It's how you learn." Akana stated matter-of-factly. The 37-year old woman returned to her former unsatisfied expression. " What I want to know is _why _Lord Sarutobi is so insistent to protect this girl. He hasn't told us anything about what is going on with this Sakura, except that she's an ally. " The light red-head shook her head, her face annoyed and distrusting. " The entire village has doubts if she really is, especially given the wars going on. He should explain to us already! No one is going to accept her until we're told the whole story. Especially me. " She had a resolute expression on her face, stubborn and determined of what she was saying. It was a mirror to one of Kushina's determined moments herself.

Kushina had halted her eating, being silent the entire time Akana had expressed her distrust to the about Sakura. The young Chunin felt the swirling of protest inside her at her mother's hostile attitude. " Mom, Sakura can be trusted. Sure she's annoying sometimes but she's not a bad person or anything. I swear. She just really needs help. That's why the Hokage assigned me and Minato to help her. " Kushina claimed, clear protest in her voice despite her earlier insulting remarks of the medic-nin just moments before. A fact that the red-head apparently didn't catch.

Akana stared at her daughter for a long moment, sadness in her stormy eyes. " The Hokage is a great man. I'm grateful that he let you and me join his village after ... the destruction of Whirlpool. " Her mother's voice shook a little, sorrow in her tone as she remembered the horrors her birth village had endured, so much so that her Clan had split up. " But he's very trusting and _too _sincere. Sakura may be a threat to our new home, Kushina. Maybe not on her own, but I believe the possiblity of her being a spy from another village isn't out of the question. " She admitted, her voice firm.

Kushina got up from the seat, her hand fisted and raised. " What are you talking about,-dattebane!? That's not it, Mom. Sakura's too much of a softy to be a spy from Cloud or some other village. She's too _nice, -_dattebane! Plus, I barely know her and I can already tell how terrible a liar she is. I saw it the other day when she was talking about her teammate. You have to be a good liar to be a spy and Sakura just _isn't_, Mom. " The red-head shot back, unable to control the feeling of disagreement coming from her.

" That's just it, honey. You barely know her and this entire thing could just be a ruse. Look, maybe I am overreacting a little but I can't help being a little suspicious. " Akana replied, her voice placating. " You were only a child, Kushina. You weren't fighting as a shinobi when Whirlpool was attacked and destroyed. I _was_. I was a Jonin, remember? " The pale-haired red-head's expression darkened, her stormy gray eyes haunted with terrible memories. " War is terrible, Kushina. You're young so you're still naive when it comes to such things. "

" What are you talking about, -dattebane? I'm a ninja! I fight, -dattebane! What the hell's your point, anyway -dattebane? " Kushina fired at her, feeling incredibly indignant.

" That's nothing compared to real war, Kushina. Lives lost, others ruined that day. My point is ... " Akana took a deep breath. " My point is. " She repeated. " I love Konoha and now accept it as my village. I don't want another village decimated, Kushina. It would be too painful for me and I don't want you tainted with those horrible memories either. " Her mother confessed, sincere.

" Stop trying to protect me, Mom. I'm sixteen and a Chunin now! Chances are, I _will _go through terrible things in my life. Y'know why that is? It's called _growing up_. " She shot back, voice passionate. " Besides, what's the likelihood that will happen anyway because of Sakura? You're jumping to conclusions again. She's _innocent_. Don't you trust your own Hokage? "

Akana looked dismayed, upset at her precious daughter's reaction. " It needs to be considered. The entire village suspects it, too. At least until we get answers, I and everyone else will believe this. I can see that you're already attached to this girl, Kushina but you have to be more clear-headed. You can't run competely on emotion. " Her mother insisted.

Kushina's face immediately twisted in outrage. " Now you're being _stupid_. I'm not _bonded _very much with Sakura at all, -dattebane! I barely even like her, -dattebane! But it's wrong to accuse of her of things when you don't even know the whole story, alright? This is what's wrong with people nowadays. She's just some lost, confused girl who can't do things on her own and wants to return to home, -dattebane. I'm gonna help her! Give her the benefit of the doubt at least. " She ranted, flustered. " When did you get to be so cynical, -dattebane? You weren't always like this, ya know! "

Her mother's expression hardened in anger, her stormy gray eyes reflecting years of grief and pain. " You know exactly when. " Akana stood up as well, her hands now clenched into fists as well. " When Whirlpool got destroyed! I had to watch, helpless, while you're father was murdered in that war. You remember, don't you? It was when you were ten and dragged to safety, _away _from all the horrible things. You didn't see it. Thank Kami, you didn't. " Her voice was raw with grief so fresh, it was as if it had happened this year and not six years earlier.

The red-head's expression faultered, grief and regret seen almost as plainly as her mother's. " I remember when Dad died, Mom. I could never forget it, believe me. I loved him. " Kushina's voice was quiet with grief, the memories of her father shaking her mind. His name was Satoshi Uzumaki. She remembered how carefree and fun-loving he had been (much more than her mother) but he was still patient and even-tempered ( A sharp constrast from both Akana and Kushina) but was one of the most fearless people she had ever known. In appearance, he had shaggy, short black hair with large, piercing brown eyes. Though she beared more physical similarities to her mother, she had been told that she had inherited her father's wit and sense of humor as well as his face shape.

Her father's death had temperarily broken her and now, now she supressed the terrible memories as best she could. Minato's presence had helped ease the ache of Satoshi's passing but she wish she could say the same for her mother. It was clear that Akana still suffered greatly from the traumaitizing murder of her husband at age 31. As soon as they transported to Konoha, her mother had retired from being a shinobi and instead became a civilian. Her mother would still fight to the death if need be and still was in top Jonin form but the death of the man she had fallen in love with had been too much of a strain even for a woman as strong-willed as her Akana was. _' I miss Dad ... I'd give anything to have him back. Mom has never been the same since. ' _Kushina reflected, blinking her tears back from her eyes. Crying never solved anything. It was just a sign of weakness.

Kushina turned to her mother, who had lapsed into silenced grief. Her eyes clear, she strongly stated. " I miss him too, Mom. But Dad wasn't like this. He was fair and always gave everyone a chance. Accusing Sakura is wrong and he would never do that. You know that. Like I said, Sakura isn't a bad person. So if you excuse me, I have people to meet. " The red-head quickly walked off and slamed the door behind her, not wanting to deal with her mother for another a minute.

Akana started after her, her stormy eyes still sad. " You ... forget your rice ball. " She pointed out weakly, gesturing to the untouched rice ball that was still left untouched on the plate.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sakura was currently making her way to the Konoha streets, avoiding some of the minor suspicious looks that were cast at her while doing so. Her emerald eyes were clear and focused, reflecting her determination to do the task that she was faced with today. _' Finally! I get to look up information and start to figure out a way home. But .. I probably wouldn't find much. The jutsu Madara used is pretty much unheard of. But even if it's just something small, I have to try. ' _Realistically, she knew the odds were still against her right now. But not doing anything was far worse. She just wanted to go home. Nothing would stop her from that.

The medic-nin rounded a corner, accidently running right into a head of blonde spikes. She stumbled a bit, almost expecting it to be Naruto since she was so used to that particular shade of blonde belonging to her friend.

" Sakura. I'm sorry for running into you. Are you alright? " Minato inquired, looking slightly bad.

" I'm a ninja, remember? I'm fine. " Sakura answered, unable to keep the slight edge of irriation out of her voice. " I'm sorry, too. It was my fault for not paying attention. " She apologized, her tone now more calm.

Minato nodded. " So, Konoha library." He checked, an excited gleam in his blue eyes. " We'll do our best to help you find any way we can. "

The pinkette stared at him, eyes grateful. " Thank you for all the help. You really didn't have to. "

" I want too, though. You belong back in future Konoha, not here. I'm sure you miss your own home. " He argued.

" Thank you. " Sakura murmured again. He was just like she heard the Fourth Hokage would be like: patient, polite, and kind. Sadness pierced her that such a kind person was fated to sacrifice his life in the Nine-Tails attack. _' He doesn't deserve that ... maybe I should tell him? ' _She _couldn't _though! It could change everything! It cause too many changes and who knows what would happen. But Sakura could not help still feeling guilty about. " Anyway, I doubt I'll find very much. The jutsu he used on me was really unique. Time-travel is still a foreign concept to shinobi so why how would we find anything really useful? " She said, feeling the urge to direct her guilty thoughts to something else. Besides, she was genuinely worried. Sakura Haruno is by no means a quitter but she was still a worrier.

" It's not gonna be easy. " Minato acknowledged sympathatically. " But still, I'm sure we'll find something. You said your opponent was indeed a Uchiha, correct? " He checked.

Sakura nodded. " Of course. There's no mistake. He used some sort of swirling-type jutsu that created a blinding flash of light, then it apparently transported it me here. Not unscathed, though. " She added, grimacing as she recalled the severely painful injuries she had recieved by it. Sakura still felt slightly sore at times if she tried to move a particular muscle.

" It's still a problem that the jutsu name seems to escape you. " Minato began, causing the pinkette to wince. " But of course, we're not completely hopeless. The Uchiha is a Clan in shadows and many secrets over their visual jutsu remain to be known by others outside of their clan. " He folded his arms, eyes calculating. " To protect their secrets, little is known about how their Sharingan works. Only to the Uchiha. " He admitted. " Still, the Konoha library is littered with much information on many subjects so we'll be sure to find something. Maybe something small, but it's a start. " Minato said, his voice confident.

" You're right. I guess we'll have to wait and see. We should get going now. " Sakura stated, returning to her purposeful pace to the direction of the library. She was glad she still knew where that was here. It wasn't the place she was unfamilar with, but the people who still chose to distrust her that she didn't know. Minato soon followed right after her.

* * *

They now reached the Konoha Library, waiting silently for their red-headed friend (who had still not gotten here). Sakura felt odd now looking at the fully rebuild library. Sure, back in her Konoha, they had a library-like area but it was nowhere near to the way it had once been. It made her a bit sad every now and then but it was still much better than the entire Konoha populace being wiped out.

" Kushina's not here yet. " Minato noted, before chuckling slightly. " Knowing her, she's being late purposely. She hates libraries. " He confessed.

" Why does she hate libraries? It's where you go to train your mind. You can't just do your body and expect that's enough. " Sakura argued, confused. She never understood why you would hate reading books. Maybe she was just thorough or ... a book nerd ( Ino had once shamelessly insulted her as that. Sakura had soon after called her "easy". Nevertheless, one of their famous passionate arguments ensued), but being intelligent was part of being a ninja.

" Yes, well, Kushina just finds them boring. It's not like she's a poor reader but it can't hold her attention. " Minato paused, before sheepishly adding " It's kind of my fault. Well, I love books. I usually became so absorbed in them, I end up ignoring her. Kushina doesn't really like that. " He said, before laughing a bit nervously.

" I love libraries, too. But my best friend doesn't like them either, mostly because he's sort of, well, hyperactive and a bit of a 'slow in the head' type of guy. " Sakura replied, her face entirely unrepentant. She was so used to calling Naruto a baka or insulting his intelligence, even though half the time she was teasing him (the other half, she was usually angry).

" I guess we have that in common. " Minato replied, amused. Sakura seemed like a nice, straightforward, fun individual. He was really beginning to like her. She reminded him a little of Kushina at times. I still did not understand why Kushina continued to claim she was unlikible, especially when they were so alike.

Sakura smiled. " I guess so. Though usually, he comes along with me anyway. I sometimes have to _drag _him to go along with me. He always complains over it. I swear, he's so flighty! " She proclaimed.

Suddenly, Sakura caught side of Kushina's fit physique and red hair. She was trotting over to Minato and Sakura, her face screwed up in uncharacteristic sadness. However, she quickly schooled her features into nonchalance so quickly, it was almost as if it was never there.

" Hey, Minato. Sakura. " The red-head greeted, her voice sounding as normal as possible for her.

" Kushina. " Minato returned the greeting, while Sakura just nodded at her. " Is something wrong? " He asked

" Just some dumb argument with my mom. It's not even worth taking about. " She told him, waving her hand. Truthfully, she was still terribly depressed by her talk with Akana. The touchy subject of her Satoshi's death was something she did her utmost to avoid.

" Are you sure? We can always talk about it if you want. " He told her, his expression worried. Kushina seemed off somehow to him; like something had happened and she was trying to pretend it didn't. Her face held a clear degree of depression only a few moments ago.

Kushina glared at him. " I _don't _wanna talk about it right now, Minato. Y'got that, -dattebane? " She growled, her voice vaguely holding a bit of a warning to it.

Getting the hint, Minato backed off. " I understand, Kushina. I just hope Akana wasn't too hard on you for whatever reason. " He added. He had met Kushina's mother. She seemed like a very kind yet protective woman. Like Kushina, she was known for her optimism and willful disposition. He liked the woman and from what she let on, she seemed to like him as well. Akana didn't usually argue with her daughter though as far as he knew, so this was a weird occurrance indeed.

" Even if she was, it's none of your business. I'm not gonna talk about it anytime soon, alright? That's final, -dattebane! " She insisted, her emotions still frayed. But as soon as it came from her mouth, she felt bad. It wasn't Minato's fault and she shouldn't be taking out her anger at him. He was just worried, like he usually was. She was tempted to apologize but she knew he probably understood.

" I understand, Kushina. Reallly. If you don't want to talk about it, we won't. " He acquiesced calmly.

" Good. " Kushina replied, nodding her head a bit. " Let's just get this library thing over with already. " She added, turning in the direction to the doors of the Konoha library. Sakura was about to follow after, only to pause mid-step.

Minato was not following after them, as his intent blue eyes had caught sight of someone very familar to him. The man in question was now in front of him, a good-natured, cheerful smile on his face.

" Minato. Good to see you! " The white-haired man called, his voice loud and exuberant.

Minato smiled, happy that his sensei had finally returned from his 'research'. " Jiraiya-sensei, I'm glad you're back. A lot of things happened while you were gone. "

" Don't fill me in, Minato. I know the whole story already. The Third Hokage told me _everything._ " Jiraiya said meaningfully, his voice still carefree and unserious.

" You have got to be kidding me, -dattebane! _He's _back already?! " Kushina exclaimed, her face greatly unimpressed and annoyed. She glared ungrudgingly at the Sanin. The man was literally the biggest pervert she had ever met! Kami, half the time she was tempted to punch the large man in the face ( She did once, actually. The man was sent flying, much to her satisfaction). She would never understand Minato's huge amount of fondness and admiration for the man. Sure, he was strong. She could admit that but his perverse ways drove her crazy.

Jiraiya flashed a brilliant grin at her, completely unfazed by the red-head's open hostility. " Well, if it isn't the famous beauty Kushina. As feisty as ever, I see. " He noted. Despite Kushina's great lack of respect for him at times, he liked this girl. He knew-all-too well his student's love for her. He could completely understand it: The strong-willed, excitable females were always the ones worth chasing, just like Tsunade.

" And I punch just as hard too. " Kushina challenged, crossing her arms and glowering at him.

Minato sighed, simply completely unsurprised. Jiraiya however, bellowed loudly in laughter. " No doubt about that! " The older man chuckled. She sure _did _punch hard, that he remembered. Maybe not as hard as Tsunade ( Now _there _was something that scared the hell out of him. She could definitely _kill _him), but still enough to be impressive.

Sakura was staring in open-mouthed shock, her eyes very wide. _' Master Jiraiya! Naruto's teacher. That's right. He was still in Konoha back then. ' _ She recalled. She respected this man but she was completely unsurprised by Kushina's show of annoyance. The man had ruffled her too on occassion. His pervertness was unbearable but so well-known. Naruto, however, loved him and had been heartbroken when Pain had killed him. _' Oh! now I REALLY wish Naruto was here! He'd give anything to see Jiraiya again ... ' _Sakura felt sadness at that thought hit her. Naruto should be here. Naruto should be able to see him again. He'd be so happy!

Minato turned to Sakura, seeing her unadultered expression of surprise on her face. " Oh, that's right. I almost forgot. " Minato gestured to Sakura, where Jiraiya's eyes fell upon. " Sensei, this is-"

" So you must be Sakura. The little time-traveller the Hokage filled me in on. I almost didn't believe it, but hey the Hokage usually knows what he's doing. " Jiraiya admitted, before holding out his hand. " I'm am the inrresistably handsome Toad Sage-

" Jiraiya, yeah. I know you. " Sakura interrupted, not wanting to hear anymore of his boasting. " I met you once before. "

" You _know _him?!" Kushina questioned the pink-haired girl incredulously, while Minato took on a thoughtful expression. _' So she met him in the future ... I'm still curious to see if she's the student of the other Sanin, Tsunade. ' _He thought. He was still determined to ask her that today.

Jiraiya looked surpised for a moment, before smiling smugly. " Well, of course you did! I'm not the type to die young, after all. " He answered. " I'm looking forward to meeting you again, Sakura. " He said cheerily, winking at her.

" You're still a pervert. " Sakura stated bluntly.

Kushina stared at her, dismayed. " You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding. " Sakura stared at her steadily before shaking her head. Her navy-blue eyes widened in outrage. " I have to _deal _with him for 26 more years like this, -dattebane!? He really didn't _grow _up at all, -dattebane?! " She asked, desperate to believe it wasn't true.

" Now, now. There is _nothing _wrong with admiring the beauty of women. " Jiraiya argued defensively. " It just shows how much I appreciate them! "

" No, it doesn't. "

" No, it doesn't, -dattebane! "

Both Sakura and Kushina said at once, though Sakura's protest was much more even and less loud. She hated the pervertedness men like Jiraiya and Naruto had but she was happy to see Jiraiya alive. She just couldn't muster up the will to be angry with him, the knowledge of his future death hanging over her head like a dark storm cloud.

" It just shows how much you _don't _respect our personal space. " Kushina added, voice firm. " Kami, why couldn't you have changed, -dattebane? "

" Give it a rest, Kushina. We both know that Jiraiya-sensei would never stop with his obssession with women. Just accept that like me and then move on. Life's easier that way. " Minato said.

" He's right, you know. " Sakura added. " Believe me, I feel the exact same about it. "

Kushina glared at them both. " Yeah, right! How can you get used to it? I'll never get used to it. " She grumbled.

" Well, I did come here for a reason. " Jiraiya interrupted, deciding to get to the point of why he came to seek them out. He turned to his student, demeanor now more serious. " We have a misson later today. Meet at the Konoha Gates as soon as you're doing helping here. The rest of your teammates will be waiting. "

" Great! I'd love to be on a misson today. " Minato responded eagerly. He was getting tired of staying in the village for as long as he had been. " I'll be there. " He agreed.

" Good. Well, off you young kids go to the wonderful library. See ya around. " He bid farewell and walked off, to the village hot springs for 'research' no doubt.

" We're not kids, -dattebane! " Kushina called after him indignantly, only for him to nonchalantly wave towards her again, ignoring her statement completely.

" Just leave him be, Kushina. We have things to do today. " Sakura scolded habitually, her instinct to correct her behavior strong, just like it always was with Naruto. _' Oh, that's right. I still need to figure out her connection with Naruto ... I keep forgetting somehow. ' _She thought, annoyed at her forgetfulness.

" Stop telling me what to do, Sakura. It's not your job, -dattebane. " Kushina retorted, her words more out of habit then complete annoyance. Still ... she always hated it when people tried to boss her around. She was in charge of _herself. _No one else was the boss of her.

" Well, then stop arguing already. " The medic-nin countered. " I want to look at the records and you're just wasting my time. " She said straightforwardly, though no anger was heard in her voice.

" Fine. The sooner you get home, the better. " Kushina muttered before charging in the direction of the doors, Minato and Sakura trailing after her as well. _' You're right. The sooner I'm home, the more relieved I'll feel. A war is just about to go on! They need another medical ninja now more than ever. ' _Sakura reflected, worry for her friends and family swamping her.

* * *

" Let's see ... Clans. " Sakura surveyed the shelve, positive she was in the right place. " Got it. " She exclaimed in delight, even though she just found the section. " Yamanaka ... Nara ... Hyuga. No, that's not it. " She said to herself. " Inuzuka ... Aburame ... Uzumaki?! " Sakura noticed, shock pulsing through her. She didn't find any books on the Uzumaki Clan in her own time and she sure as hell wouldn't find it there now anyways, due to the destruction it's buildings had gone through, thanks to Pain. Immediately, she pulled the book out to look at it, even though her mission was to find one on the Uchiha's.

" What are you doing with a book on my Clan? " Kushina queried. " They weren't native to Konoha and also, why the hell aren't you looking for Uchiha books, -dattebane? " She wanted to leave already. Being in the library was always so horrible for her.

Sakura jumped, startled. " Oh! Sorry. I am still looking. It's just ... " Sakura tore her gaze from Kushina's round face and back to the book. " My friend, Naruto, is a Uzumaki too, just like you. " She indicated. That thought still struck her as weird. Sakura didn't know many Uzumakis, well besides Kushina and Naruto. Combine that and their similar personality traits made her suspicious. " But anyway, I just want to know more about his Clan. "

Kushina looked at her with child-like intrigue. " That _is _weird. He's that guy you like, right? "

Sakura blushed a bit and immediately shook her head. " No, you're wrong. I do _not _like Naruto that way. He's just my friend. " She denied immediately. Sure her feelings for him have been changing lately but falling in love with him? It was something she could never grasp. It was _impossible_.

The red-head sat up on the table near Sakura (instead of the chair right next to her), completely uncaring about the glares that was sent to her and the inappropriateness of the gesture. _' Another thing I hate about the library. Everyone's so damn unrelaxed and serious. No wonder why Minato and Sakura are in Heaven here. ' _Minato had turned into a child when they reached the library and seperated to other sections for books on jutsus and something else: Probably intellectual crap, knowing him. She'll never understand that about Minato. But of course, being the super-nice guy he was, he offered to help first. But Sakura had declined, believing she didn't need help looking for books. Kushina? She was just wandering around, bored and with no desire to be there until she can across Sakura.

" Yeah. Tell me when you realize you like this Naruto, okay? " Kushina answered. This girl was a complete, confused mess with her feelings. Maybe, possibly, even more confused than herself.

Sakura blushed again, upset with how everyone lately was trying to tell her how she felt. In reality, she knew how she felt. The problem with that was ... she didn't. Not as much as she'd like to, besides the fact that she knew she still loved Sasuke. She didn't want to at all. She truly didn't! But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't dislodge him and she didn't even know why. _' I want to love Naruto ... I do ... but Sasuke-' _Sakura trailed off. She truly didn't understand _any _of her feelings lately, much less what she felt for Naruto.

" You're one to talk, Kushina. " Sakura shot back. " I've seen the way you act with Minato. It's totally obvious you're in love with him. " She only had a hunch truthfully. She seemed to treat him _much_, _much _better than she did most people. She yelled at him and insulted him the least. But Sakura soon realized that Kushina was a surprisingly very hard person to read. It was odd. You'd think someone as loud and not to shy to express her opinion on things would be the most easiest but she wasn't. She seemed to try and hide and cover up her emotions. For what reasons, Sakura didn't know.

" You're completely delusional,-dattebane! I don't _love _Minato,-dattebane! He's just my friend and that's all! " Kushina shouted a bit too louder, causing more people to glare at her. She refused to be some annoying little sob story like some other girls she knew where like. Love ... it seemed too mushy and well, she just felt like all it would cause her to lose her individuality. Minato was great, more than great. He was the first person who ever actually seemed to give a damn about her besides her parents. He complimented her hair, the trait she once hated and saved her from being abducted by the Kumo ninja because of her status as a Uzumaki. Ever since, he changed her outlook on things and took away the loneliness she once felt. Minato was never mean to her, in fact he was always nice to her even on her bad days. He truly seemed to support her unconditionally and she loved that about him. But even if she did indeed fall for him, she wouldn't pursue anything with him. She was just ... afraid.

Kushina's huge blush (which literally matched her hair completely) and flustered answer was enough for Sakura. Feeling a satisfied smirk on her face coming on, she replied. " Oh, what do you know. You _do _have feelings for him. " She concluded, feeling triumphant. Guess she wasn't the only one confused.

" I do not, Sakura! Stop trying to tell me how I feel, -dattebane! " She argued, so annoyed and uncomfortable over this topic. It was so much funner when _she _was the one taunting Sakura over her feelings for Naruto.

" Oh, you didn't notice? Minato loves you completely too. " Sakura informed, her tone completely matter-of-fact. Minato's feelings the other hand, were easy to read. The way he doted on and supported Kushina was so patient and unconditional, it was impossible for him to be anything _but _in love with her. _' How Minato acts with Kushina is exactly the same Naruto treats me ... that's probably why I could tell so easily. If Sai never told me Naruto loves me, I probably wouldn't of caught it. ' _She felt guilt over that, because if Minato's feelings were so painfully obvious, Naruto's definitely was. That's another thing she'd constantly berate herself for: Not realizing Naruto was in love with her sooner.

Kushina's face faltered, feeling a sickening feeling of shock and giddiness rising in her chest. How she _hated _that feeling. " He does? " She asked meekly, hating how that revealation made her feel.

Sakura turned to the book shelves and continued browsing through it. " Oh, yeah. It couldn't be any more obvious. That's probably the only reason he can put up with you so easily, actually. Either that or he has the patience of a Saint. " She muttered bluntly, feeling frustrated that she had yet to find any accurate Uchiha book. _' What the hell? It should be here. You'd think with how prestigious and powerful the Uchiha Clan was, I'd find it easy. ' _

Amazingly, Kushina had no sharp, retort to that thinly barbed insult. She was stunned by it, to be honest. And there was also the part that sickened her. _Some _part of her ... was actually happy and excited. She didn't like it at all. She felt like the one word she hated the most: vulnerable. " Minato's just ... too nice. He's always been like that. And he's actually just _really _patient. " Kushina insisted. " I mean, like really. His well of patience is almost never-ending. You have no idea. "

" Trust me, Kushina. If Minato didn't love you, even _he _would lose his temper with you. You really have that effect on people. " Sakura continued. Kushina, to her, anyway, seemed completely unmanagable. She was pretty sure almost every person _besides _Minato had snapped back at the red-head at one point.

" Do not, -dattebane. " She argued, finding the energy to be slightly affronted at Sakura's view of her personality. But even she could tell that the usual anger and annoyance just wasn't there.

" Do to. " Sakura replied. " Anyway, Minato does love you. I can tell. It's all in how he treats you and the way he looks at you. It's love, alright. " She assessed, not doubting any of the words she had just said. " Aha! Found it. " Sakura claimed loudly, pulling out a book with the Uchiha crest on it. In plain, clear letters, it read '_Uchiha Clan: Guide to Sharingan secrets and Origin. ' _She flipped through it a little, skimming over the pages as she did so. _' It's not much, just like I expected. For the bigger Clan secrets, I'd have to be an Uchiha. They wouldn't keep precious information like that in reach of outsiders. I'll have to talk to the Hokage about that as soon as I can. I need to learn more about the Mangekyo Sharingan; I doubt I'll find that in here. Still, it's a good start. I want to learn as much as I can. ' _Carefully, she closed it and held it to her chest before turning back to Kushina.

The young Chunin had lapsed into silence, a expression of complete disbelief and shock on her face. _' You mean ...! She actually didn't KNOW Minato had feelings for her? How could she not? _' Sakura wondered, shocked. But it was immediately followed by sympathy. _' I get it. Kushina's going through almost the exact thing I went through with Naruto. She must feel so stupid right now. I've been there. ' _ " You didn't know how Minato felt, did you? "

Kushina looked at her, dark eyes wide with slight guilt. She shook her head.

" You mean, you never _once _thought Minato may be in love with you? Not even _once_? " Sakura checked, feeling a unbearable amount of understanding towards Kushina. It seems they really weren't that different after all.

" Not really, I guess. I mean, sure I've wondered sometimes if he may like me but I always dismissed it as Minato just being Minato. He's just really nice to everyone. Even you he was nice to,-dattebane! " Kushina claimed, making a sweeping motion with her hand. " When people are always so nice to other people like that, it's not always easy to tell if they like you or not. " She replied defensively.

Sakura stared at her sympathatically. She understood what Kushina was going through completely. She sat down next to Kushina on the table too, not caring if she would glares for it either. She put the Uchiha and Uzumaki books on her lap before speaking up. " I know. Believe me, I know. I went through the same thing. " She confessed, feeling the urge to comfort her and show her she's not alone. Sakura remembered how the shock and guilt of not knowing felt. Hell, she _still _felt that way when she thought back on it.

" You too? How? Who? " Kushina asked, curiousity mingling with her shock and guilt.

" Naruto. " Sakura said simply.

" You mean, you're teammate? " She asked, surprised. " He likes you? "

The pinkette nodded her head, her expression something akin to misery as she thought back to that day. " Yeah. Naruto's just like Minato. He's usually a really nice, sweet guy. One of the nicest I've ever met, if I'm honest. Maybe not _as _nice as Minato but pretty close. He's dense, quick to argue and easily worked up. He also has _zero _patience and sometimes tactless. So I guess he _can _come off as a jerk sometimes. " Sakura admitted, realizing those were all the traits Kushina had as well. " But for the most part, he's pretty sweet. "

" Oh. So, what happened? " The red-head asked, her curiousity spiking even more.

" What happened was ... well, he sort of fell in love with apparently. Except I never knew for the longest time until just recently. Yeah, it was pretty obvious he liked me. Naruto used to ask me out on dates and try to give me clumsy compliments. But that's just it. They were clumsy and gave me the wrong impression more often than they didn't. " Sakura frowned. " He's actually _really _bad with words when it comes to stuff like that. "

Kushina shook her head. " Minato has never done that to me before. If he did, maybe I would have realized that he liked me sooner. 'Cause that's just obvious. " She remarked.

" You're right, it is. That's why I knew that he had a crush on me. " Sakura agreed. " But he was always so innocent about it, I never really took his his feelings seriously. I just figured they were shallow or something. Even the really nice things he did for me, I thought the same as you. Naruto was just being Naruto and that's all there was to it. " She admitted sadly. " I was wrong. "

Kushina looked sad. " How did you figure it out? "

" That's just it. I didn't. Not by myself, anyway. Naruto never told me he loved me and Sai, my other teammate, had to tell me. He's the most socially clueless and awkward guy ever but even _he _could tell when I couldn't. You can imagine how I felt about that. " She stated, her voice miserable as she reflected on it. " Naruto does a lot for me, much more than he should. I asked him for something. It was the most _selfish _thing I ever asked of him and I regret it every day. If only I knew ... "

" Can you tell me? " She asked. Sakura's personal problems sounded a lot more interesting then her own.

Sakura hesitated. " I don't usually like talking about it. " She admitted. " But I guess I can tell you, anyway. What happened was that our first teammate, Sasuke, left the village because he wanted revenge and didn't think he could accomplish that in Konoha. I .. I loved him. " Sakura finally said, her voice broken as the memory of Sasuke pierced her heart. " I saw him off but I couldn't stop him, no matter how hard I tried. I was upset and felt like I couldn't do anything at all. "

" See? That's why I think love is stupid. All it ever causes people is a broken heart or you to just lose yourself as a person. And who the hell does this Sasuke person think he is? Leaving his village like that and his friends? Does he know _any _loyalty as a ninja, -dattebane? How the hell can you love scum like that, -dattebane!? " She snapped, angry that someone would betray the village like that.

" You don't know what he was going through, Kushina. None of us did, not even Naruto. His entire family was murdered. He was alone and bitter. You can't really blame him completely for leaving. " She argued defensively. " Sasuke is different than the rest of us. He's hard to understand. He _refuses _to have anyone understand him. I don't _want _to love Sasuke, Kushina but it's not easy to get over him. I'm trying though, okay? But my feelings for Sasuke is not what I want to talk about. " Sakura said, annoyance and hurt in her voice. It wasn't directed at Kushina, but herself. " Anyway, what happened was a group of people were sent to bring him back home. Naruto wanted to go and nothing stops him when he sets his mind to it. I was heartbroken so I did the unthinkable. I sobbed right in front of him and _begged _him to bring Sasuke back to me. I didn't care, I was selfish. All I wanted was Sasuke. " She admitted, her emerald eyes deep pools of regret and grief.

Kushina gaped at her in horrified shock. " Don't tell me he accepted it? How can he if he loves you so much? "

" 'The Promise of a Lifetime' " Sakura said, her voice bitter. " He promised me that he'd bring Sasuke back, no matter what. I was at my lowest, most selfish point and he didn't even care. All he wanted was to cheer me up. I feel like I broke his heart that day. "

" That's just horrible, Sakura. I'm sure you hurt his feelings a lot. " She said tactlessly, before reiterating. " But you didn't know then so it's okay. " Sakura looked at her, completely unconvinced. " That was a pretty amazing, selfless thing he did for you though. I don't think many people are capable of doing that. He sounds like a great guy. "

" He is completely. " She agreed, her voice hollow. _' Unlike Sasuke. ' _She added silently. " Naruto did that for me three years ago and never once told me how much I hurt him. I know that I did, which is why I regret it so much. I wish I never did it. " Sakura replied.

" We make mistakes, Sakura. It happens to everyone. Stop beating yourself up over it. It's not gonna help. " Kushina consoled before leaping off the table, hitting the ground lightly. " But anyway, enough of this feelings crap. I don't want to talk about this anymore. "

" For once Kushina, I actually agree with you. " The pinkette agreed heartily, getting off the table as well. Putting the Clan books to her chest, she surveyed the area, looking for Minato.

" Do you really _have _to bring that book on the Uzumaki Clan? You could've just asked me, ya know. " Kushina told her, her face annoyed.

" Gee, I wonder why. " She answered, her voice sardonic. " Maybe it's because you wouldn't have wanted to tell me? You don't like me very much, right? " Sakura shot back immediately.

" Well, I don't hate you. " Kushina admitted awkwardly, not really wanting to say much else.

" Yeah. I don't hate you either. " Sakura returned. She hated to admit it but she actually sort of liked Kushina now. It was completely ridiculous but she felt like she could relate to her more than just about anyone else at the moment.

" That's settled then." Kushina realized, before continuing. " Let's look for Minato before he gets so obssessed with those books of his, he doesn't want to leave. " Her voice was joking, but inwardly, she was actually afraid that would happen to him.

Sakura smiled, catching the joke. " Yeah. Let's go. "

* * *

**A/N: Do you know I have fun writing every chapter XD? I always seem to love every one of them :P. I'm so glad I published this story XD. But anyways, I loved the part where Sakura and Minato could relate to being book nerds XD. For some reason, I picture Minato like that. That's why he's so smart, people ;). And yes, Kushina's backstory was revealed pre-Konoha. The manga left out her parents for some reason so I decided to kill off her father and her mother to be crippled by the loss. That's why she's such a distrusting person :P. I'm evil I know XD but Kishi likes sad backstories like that :P. Though I love Kushina far too much to make her a orphan like Naruto XD. And I FINALLY included some MinaKushi :P. I'm sorry it took so long for my MinaKushi readers XD but I just couldn't find a place to fit it in. I honestly picture Kushina thinking like this. She has a distain for love because she feels it makes her too sentimental or too vulnerable. Two things Kushina hates XD and in my fic, her train of thought is partly based on the mess Akana is in from her father's death which I feel is interesting. It's exactly why she denies loving Minato but we all know how she really feels :P. Plus, Naruto inherited his denseness from her XD which is also why she didn't realize Minato was in love with her :). Funny how similar Sakura and Kushina's situations are so similar, huh? I did that purposely :P, for bonding purposes.**

**I just adore the SakuKushi heart-to-heart :D. " I don't hate you. " is all they can really admit at this point XD. Their fledgling friendship is one of the main focal points of the story as well as Sakura's continued efforts to go home. MinaKushi and NaruSaku are secondary :). And yes, I felt the unbearable urge to add our favorite perverted Sanin :P. How I missed his character XD. I feel Kushina would have a great lack of respect towards him and his pervertedness, just like Naruto and Sakura (in the anime). But she would obviously grow to like him over time, through her relationship with Minato ( I picked up on that in the pregnant Kushina flashback). Did she ever get used to Jiraiya's pervertedness like Minato? You decide :P. I also have been thinking of adding Danzo as a side-villain. Just because he's done so many crap in the series, it's so incredibly easy to put him in the role of a villain XD. And yes, don't worry Sakura will very soon put two and two together and realize that Kushina is Naruto's mom ( I know how many of you are looking forward to that). I want her to realize that Minato is Naruto's father a bit later, for suspense reasons ( It should be pretty easy, because he is literally the spitting image of him but Sakura can be slow at times despite how smart she is XD.)**

**And yes, true to my word, I inserted one-sided, angsty SasuSaku XD. I completely loathe SasuSaku as the canon couple in Naruto, simply because I'm Sakura-biased and believes she deserves much better. But if I suddenly put Sakura not loving Sasuke, I'd feel like I'm not writing her as her canon self and I really want to avoid that, despite how much I hate her feelings for him. My fics are and always will be my interpretation of canon. This one is no different :). **

**Anyway, I have so much ideas for the next chapter, I don't which one I want to write XD. So I want you guys to help me out a bit. I'm going to put up a poll on possible expectations for next chapter and the most popular one(s) will be in Chapter 10. I'm going to give away major spoilers and they'll be pretty vague but I'd like your input very much :). I'm sort of stuck XD. Long author's notes this chapter XD. I just have a lot to say this week, don't I? :D**

_**Japanese Name Meanings:**_

_**"Akana": **bright red; flower _( See why I chose it? :P)

_**"Satoshi": **even-tempered; clear thinking_

**Reviews are always wonderful! :D**


	10. Chapter 10: War on the Horizon

**A/N: **Thank you to those of you who participated in the poll :). I was slightly surprised at the most popular options XD but I'm grateful for the help. For those of you who want to know, I've not been cutting to what Naruto's doing 'cause right now he's still on the boat to Turtle Island (Remember, _Adventures at Sea _fillers. Not something I'd like to touch on XD) but I decided to speed it up a little. About one week since the last chapter in the timeline. Which means Sakura has been missing from Konoha for three weeks and that Naruto is almost there to train. Your welcome, readers :D.

Anyway, I'm sure most of you know what will happen in this Chapter, thanks to the poll. Kushina now knows the entire Team Seven sob story and love triangle :P. On top of that, Kushina realized Minato loves her so you all know what's gonna happen next XD (P.S. I will not make MinaKushi canon yet in my fic. Still needs more development :D). And of course ... present cut. :P

Oh and _Inner Sakura _is in **bold **(for those of you that don't know ;))

**Disclaimer:** **Now why would Kishi be wasting _his_ time writing fanfics XD? It's not my property and it's completely Kishimoto's. But if I did own Naruto, Kakashi would not run Rin through with a Chidori, Mikoto would still be alive (I know we don't know much about Sasuke's mom but she seemed like a nice lady. Plus, she's adorable XD), and Sakura's parents would have been introduced earlier on in the manga and not a movie.**

_Constructive criticism is always appreciated! ;)_

* * *

War On the Horizon

" So, Sakura. How has your progress been with finding more on the Uchiha? " The Third Hokage's gray eyes rapt attention were on the young medic-nin in front of him, not giving way in the slightest.

Sakura bit her lip slightly at the expected question, mildly anxious. It had been over a week since her venture into the library with Minato and Kushina. She had mostly spent her time inside, pouring her soul out into books with as much concentration as possible. Sakura had still been more or less condemned to the village completely. Both Minato and Hiruzen had expressed their sympathies to her which did not go unnoticed but it did little to relieve her displeasure of the situation.

Minato and surprisingly even Kushina occasionally visited her during the week. Minato's presence was again the one she found she welcomed more. He had gone through the book as well and gave helpful tips such as how the Sharingan was created for the mimicking purpose of other's jutsu as well as legends being powerful enough to put under genjutsu that could last for hours or days. Sakura had been surprised when he mentioned the length it could occasionally last but apparently, Jiraiya had shared that knowledge with him. It was interesting to learn to be sure and she appreciated his supportive, conscientious nature.

Sakura and Minato had occasionally discussed subjects, such as battle tactics, strategies, books. The most frequent topic of their discussions were Kushina and Naruto, surprisingly. They exchanged stories of both of the hyperactive ninjas and it surprised Sakura how much Minato had to deal with. It reminded her of how dealt with Naruto's more childish behavior on occasion but Minato showed no ill will of Kushina. He had mentioned her antics with fondness and even admiration at times. This strengthened Sakura's belief that Minato was indeed in love with his red-headed friend but she did not mention this to him out loud. Most of the time however, they focused solely on the task at hand.

Kushina, in her own way, had also tried to help her. She did _not _go through the book completely, unlike Minato. Instead, she had quickly skimmed through it (Sakura was slightly annoyed at this. The book was at least six-hundred pages and large. She didn't feel the red-head's half-hearted reading would be of great help) and then afterwards, slammed the book down and told her the basics. None of it wasn't what she already knew but she appreciated the brash kunoichi's attempts nonetheless. On some days, she would not help at all and just lounge around, once eating food out of Sakura's fridge (The pink-haired girl had abruptly snapped at her for the action. This had merely earned her some angry mutters and 'Don't tell me what to do!' words from the girl before eating anyway. Ironically, Kushina did not raid her fridge again afterwards).

But most of the time, much to Sakura's complete shock, the red-head would try to converse with her. Sometimes Sakura ignored her, too focused on going over the book but on other times, she had returned the conversation. It was a stark contrast from their almost acrimonious, hostlile beginning and it made Sakura relieved. It seemed that through their shared emotional turmoil, they reached some sort of even ground. She was almost positive the fellow Chunin would never admit such a thing anytime soon, though.

With the occasional periodic visits of those two ninja, Sakura had also continually used her free time productively. Of course, Sakura did not learn many new aspects that she didn't already know. The book by itself however, was thick in length and refreshed her memory on many subjects she had somewhat forgotten. This had lightened her spirits slightly but she still knew with a certainty that she would not find her way home with such sparse information as this was. For that she needed more ... like the Uchiha Clan secrets for instance. She had not told the Hokage what had niggled at the back of her mind the past week but she was half-convinced he already knew. How she was going to do that though, she had no clue.

" Well, " Sakura began hesitantly, her emerald gaze troubled and tinged with uncertainty. " Most of what the book said ... I already knew. " She admitted. Hiruzen merely nodded, having already expected this. " The Sharingan is a kekkei genkai. It's purpose is to mimic jutsu or actions to complete perfection. It also has the abilitity to put those under genjutsu. The power of the genjutsu depends on the person. " She clarified expertly.

" Of course you know all of this. I figured as much. But at least, you've been refreshing your memory. " He pointed out, sitting in his chair in the Hokage's office.

" Yes, but ... " Sakura took in a deep breath, before continuing firmly. " Lord Hokage, we both know this isn't enough. I need to get back to home. The basics for the Sharingan isn't going to pull it off. " She insisted matter-of-factly, her tone frustrated. " The Uchiha I went up against was very powerful. He's the only one I've ever seen capable of Time-Transportation Jutsu. That's _never _been recorded before as far as the records say. Everyone believes it was a myth. Even I did. And-"

" Calm down, Sakura. I understand your desperation. " Hiruzen chided, sounding very tired. Ever since Kushina had rescued Sakura from death, the matter of returning her back home had been very complicated. He never once wavered in his resolve to send her back to future Konoha but that didn't make it any less tiring. " What you say is true. It isn't enough for something as elaborate as your situation is. "

Sakura was silent again, worry and hesitance clearly visible in the lines of her body and eyes. _The only option I can think of is getting hold of the Uchiha Clans secret files. But, knowing how guarded those types of Clans are, it wouldn't be easy. They probably have it stashed somewhere in the depths of a compound. _Sakura assessed logically. _How can I ask permission from him for something like that? If I'm caught or worse, the Third is blamed than trouble with the Uchiha Clan might start. I don't want that. __All he's been doing is trying to help me. _Sakura felt stress coming at her in all sides. She knew from the beginning it wouldn't be easy. Hell, she didn't even know if there _was _a way back but for her the sake of her mental health, she suppressed that doubt as best she could. Even the fleeting thought of such a possiblity clenched her heart. She closed her eyes, deep in thought. _Three weeks ... three weeks I've been gone. Probably worrying my family to death, Lady Tsunade, Ino, my teamates! I should be at home, helping them for the War. Would if they started without me? I need to be there and heal. Not HERE. Would if Naruto found out I was gone?! _Sakura pondered in horror. She didn't want him to know that. Knowing him, he'd probably try to find her and then blame himself when he didn't. Even if she didn't come back, it wasn't his fault. He would never be to blame. _No ... I'm not gonna stop! This is my mission. And I'm gonna keep trying, for the sake of me and my loved ones. _

The young medic-nin snapped her eyes, clear and focused with renewed fervor and determination. Hiruzen had watched her lapse of silence curiously, noting the completely different look in her eyes now. She faced him, finally voicing her plan. " Hokage, I mean no disrespect by this and I know it's a lot to ask of you but it's the only thing I can think of. " She began, voice genuinely sympathetic. " I have an idea on maybe finding a way of going home. "

Hiruzen sat back and crossed his arms, intrigue and curiosity shining in the gray depths of his eyes. " Well, then. Let's here it. "

Sakura nodded. " It's not exactly simple but here it is. It's common knowledge that Clans, especially powerful Clans like the Uchiha or Hyuga to name examples, never give away big-top secrets. It's a sign of weakness and enemies might take advantage of the information. " She stated immediately. " In fact, they keep things like that closely guarded and most of the time, only members of the Clan actually know about it. It's their right to, after all. "

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, catching on to what she was trying to say. " What are you trying to suggest, Sakura? " He inquired warily.

Sakura felt a fleeting moment of returning guilt but she quickly shook it off. " What I'm saying is, maybe I can find a way to get the information from the Clan. The secret files to be exact. It's not hundred percent clear but we'll be much better off that way. My chances of finding a way back home might increase. " She finally said, the tangles of a plan already began to form in her head.

The Third Hokage gave out a long, loud sigh. " Sakura ... you do realize the risks of such attempts, don't you? I would be violating the terms of the Uchiha Clan's privacy. I may be Hokage but they are still one of the essential power points of in this village. I have no wish to make them an enemy by pushing my boundaries. As clever as your suggestion is, it's also dangerous and may put you and others in danger. " He replied, his voice uncertain.

" I already know that, Lord Hokage. It's not going to be as easy and I know with a clarity how risky is it. " Sakura agreed. In all honesty, she never wanted to put so much pressure on this man or herself for that matter. He didn't deserve it and was dealing with his own problems as Hokage. But _still, _if there was even the slightest ray of hope in this dangerous solution, she wouldn't ignore it. Home. Sakura needed to be home and nothing would steer her from it. " I get the place you're in. Really, I do. I'm willing to hear any other options you have to say but I'm not going to give up. This is truly the only possibility I can think of. "

The Hokage smiled at her tiredly. " It's good that you're still so optimistic and determined, Sakura. Great qualities a ninja can have. " Hiruzen said kindly.

" Thank you, Third Hokage. " She acknowledged gratefully. " My friends and family keep me going. I don't want to never see them again or have them think I'm dead. " Sakura replied seriously before giggling a bit in amusement. " Besides, a _certain friend _of mine never gives up. If he was in my place, he wouldn't be quitting or losing hope. Why should I? I don't want him getting the better of me. " She said teasingly, fondness filling her as she recalled Naruto's never-wavering determination. " I hate to lose, after all. " Sakura added, smiling.

Hiruzen smiled once again as well, amused. " Clearly. " Quickly returning to his former seriousness, he added. " As for your plan, Sakura ... I'm still not entirely sure. I'll talk it over with my advisors as soon as possible. We'll see where that takes us. " He promised.

Sakura nodded in affirmation, satisfied with his response. She truly didn't expect anything more than this and at least she could tell he was considering it. " That's all I really am asking for. " She admitted.

" I'll call you to my office as soon as my meeting with them are over. " Hiruzen informed her. " For now anyway, stay at home. "

" Got it. " She agreed, despite inwardly groaning. _All I ever do is stay at home. _Sakura grumbled. She hadn't been on a misson ever since her she got put back in the past. Truly, Sakura never thought she would miss being on a mission _this _much. _Why on earth am I complaining so much lately? Is it because of the stress? _She wondered, bewildered. _Or maybe Naruto. I always knew he'd be a bad influence on me. _She realized, finding her answer quickly. Regardless, she really missed him more than just about anyone, excluding her parents. Sakura never thought she'd say this but even his annoying immaturity or cluelessness would be welcome now. _I wonder why? _She pondered but it remained unanswered as she bowed respectfully to the Hokage before walking out the office.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kushina was in her typical training zone, this time alone. The past week had certainly been interesting for her, both good and bad if she was honest. Hitting swift kicks to the trunk of a tree half-heartedly, her mind raced and went over the events that she had dealt with. Akana had been sulky still about the fight they had over helping Sakura at least for the first three days but she did her best to ignore it. She could tell her mother still didn't agree with her daughter but she was at least shutting up about it, much to Kushina's relief. She loved her mother more than anything but she hated how distrustful Akana could be. _'Cause I'm a kid, apparently. I don't KNOW what I'm talking about half the time, at least as far as she was concerned. She was the one who was wrong!_ Kushina thought, her old anger returning quickly. Without realizing in her anger, she quickly punched a fist-sized hole in the tree. _At least she's more or less back to normal. _She grudgingly admitted, still angry.

Feeling her fist stuck in some sort of obstruction, Kushina finally noticed her annoyance-fueled punch had created a gaping hole in it. Moving her fist a little, it barely moved. Muttering some impatient curses, she tugged harder and finally freed her hand from the tree. Her mother's emotional problems were not the only thing that had bothered her lately. Thanks to Sakura, Minato now became the center of her thoughts more than usual. _Minato loves me ... that seems so unreal. How the hell can Sakura be so sure, -dattebane? _Kushina thought, her emotional state splitting between confusion and some other emotion she couldn't name. _She said I love Minato ... how dumb is that? I don't care about love. Just look at Sakura and see what it did to her because of that Sasuke-teme guy. All it ever does is ruin you in some way or another. _Loving a man was something that had always been an entirely ridiculous concept to her. She shunned the idea so much that she had in the process shunned the idea of falling in love, even with Minato.

She huffed in annoyance and walked away from the work she had down on the tree. Instead, she sat down and leaned against another one. She _really _needed to think now, no matter how much the idea annoyed her. Did she love Minato? Her mental head screamed 'Hell no!' and Kushina had for the longest time agreed with it. But her heart? It was all confused. She couldn't deny how her heart sometimes sped up when he said or did a really sweet thing for her. Or how heavily she relied on his companionship ever since he had rescued her three years ago from Cloud ninja. _I followed you because of the trail of red hair you were leaving. I noticed it right away because it was so pretty. _Minato's words echoed in her ears from that day. Kushina ran her hand through her hair unconsciously, a happy smile visible on her face. _I remember how happy he made me that day ... he loved my horrible red hair when all I ever felt about it was shame. He made me feel accepted, like someone actually cared. I was more than just the container of the Nine-tails ... I was just Kushina. _She reflected, powerful feelings surging inside her. Maybe, just _maybe _she did actually love Minato ...

Suddenly, Kushina shook her head angrily before getting up again. _What the hell does Sakura know about love anyway? She fell for a Uchiha teme, after all! A person who abandoned his village for power. And what's worse, she still sympathizes with him and still loves Sasuke-teme. On top of that, she STILL hasn't realized she loves that Naruto guy! Why should I listen to her?!_ Kushina pushed her moment of weakness away. She _didn't_ love Minato. He was a very close friend that she could never live without but falling for him was out of the question. _Just look at the condition my mother's in ... I don't want to end up like that. _ She realized.

She may have temporarily come to her conclusion of Minato but she still had to deal with his supposed feelings. _I'm starting to think Sakura may be right, about this at least. Minato might just have feelings for me. _She truly didn't know what she thought of that. Part of her felt happy (which she refused to admit meant something) and the other part of her felt uncomfortable. Lucky for her, Minato had been send on misson after mission with his teammates so she had happily been able to avoid the awkward subject of how he felt about her. The only thing he'd actually found time for was to help Sakura but Kushina knew he did it because he felt bad and wanted to help. _I'll have to face him about it someday ... just NOT now. _Kushina thought determinedly though honestly, she didn't know how she'd be able to spend time with him on a regular basis without that question in the back of her mind. _I want an answer ... but I also don't. _Kushina made a loud, frustrated sound. " Damnit! Why does this have to be so complicated, -dattebane!? " Kushina once again punched the tree behind her, trying to let loose all her frustration and pent-up confusion in that single punch.

It created a larger dent then her first punch and to her relief, Kushina felt much better afterwards. She removed her fist from the trunk like she did the last time, which again took a bit more effort than she had it wanted to. She turned up her navy-blue eyes to the sky, noting how the sun was sinking down the sky, staining it with red. _Guess I've been out a bit longer than I thought. I better go home. I don't want my Mom to worry about me. _Kushina turned and quickly departed the Training Field, not looking back to the several demolished trees covered with holes, both from her legs and fists.

* * *

Sakura had long-ago left the Hokage office behind, trudging through the streets of Konoha. Civilians still roamed the area of course but it had thinned out much compared to earlier. The pink-haired girl was not truly paying attention to her surroundings, her expression deep in thought. _I wonder if the Third's advisors will accept my idea? If there anything like they are in my time, it probably won't be without complaints. _She grimaced at that realization. Sakura was never really that fond of the elders to begin with and she recalled vividly how often Tsunade had clashed with them. Her master had always been fairly impatient from the beginning but she always seemed to be especially testy when it came to them. Honestly, Sakura couldn't blame her. She would never be able to put up with their arrogant and conceited nature either. It amazed her how well the short-tempered Hokage could handle Koharu and Homura. _Lady Tsunade's patience with them is always by a thread. One of these days there gonna push her too far and it just ... won't end well. _She thought with a certainty.

Sakura sighed. She really missed her master, too. _Lady Tsunade, Shizune ... I hope you're doing okay. I wish I could tell you I was fine. _They were sure to have noticed she was gone by now. Gaara probably informed them that she never showed and Tsunade realized she had never accomplished the mission. Sakura never wanted her family and friends to think she was dead! They all cared so much and the assumed loss of a close friend would be horrible to endure at the brink of a war. _I can't take it! Of all the times ... Why can't I be home already? A war is about to happen and what if people die that I would've been able to heal ... I have responsibilities. _That's what really bothered her besides the aching loss she felt of her friends. Sakura was inexperienced when it came to wars but she knew there would be severe casualties and deaths. Tsunade and others had constantly praised her as a top medic-nin. If that was true, then she was needed back home now more than ever.

She quickly was pulled out of her musings however when she noticed the now familiar shape of Kushina. She looked tired and her ninja clothes were covered with dirt. Her black forehead protector was of course still attached firmly to her head but it was also dirty. Her long, red hair was down this time.

" Kushina! " Sakura called in surprise, causing the red-head to turn her eyes to the sound of Sakura's voice.

Kushina recognized her immediately. " Oh. It's you. " She replied back, voice almost dull. It wasn't like she was _angry _to see Sakura. In fact, over the past week or so, she had lost almost all of her dislike of the pinkette. Kushina was however tired. On top of that, she was annoyed that she still had thought about Minato the entire way home. Kami, it made her almost hate him for preocuping her thoughts so!

" What's that supposed to mean? " Sakura grumbled in annoyance, not liking the flat tone Kushina had used on her.

Kushina glared at her before rolling her eyes. " I'm tired, okay? You don't have to be so sensitive all the time, Sakura. " She muttered back, annoyed a bit now herself. She may been known for her hyperactivity and energy but it wasn't a curse to be _tired_ for once, right? She was a Uzumaki through and through. It was true she didn't get tired very easily so this _was_ strange for her. She blamed it on Minato.

" I am _not _sensitive, Kushina. " Sakura denied right back, crossing her arms in irritation. She always _hated _it when people called her that. She could admit she was emotional for a ninja but _sensitive_? No.

The red-headed kunoichi once again rolled her eyes, biting back the scathing retort of '_Would you rather me call you a touchy attention-whore instead?' _from her lips. While Sakura's reaction to that comeback would indeed be amusing and priceless, she for once didn't feel like arguing. Her emotions were too mixed up for her to summon up her usual sharp tongue and spunk. _I'm losing my edge. It's all your fault, Minato. _Kushina thought angrily. " Whatever. " She replied instead, tone dismissive. " What are you doing out here anyway? "

" What, I can't be out of my apartment every once and while? " Sakura said sarcastically. " I just came back from visiting the Hokage. I mentioned to him my idea of getting back home. "

Kushina's navy-blue eyes lit up with childish interest and she fell in step next to Sakura who started walking back in the direction of the Hyuga compound. " Plan? You have a plan, -dattebane? " She asked, a tinge of excitement and surprise in her previously bored voice.

Sakura looked at her from the corner of her eye, slight affrontment in her emerald gaze. " Don't sound so surprised. Of course I do. " She said firmly. " The books of just basic, well-known Sharingan facts don't have enough information about the stuff we're dealing with. So I asked him if I could ... well, if I could ... " She began hesitantly.

" Just get to the point already, Sakura. I wanna know, -dattebane! " Kushina insisted impatiently.

" Alright, alright already. Just relax. " She grumbled. Sakura knew her plan was risky and she still doubted if the advisors _or _the Hokage would agree with it. Consequently, it wasn't easy for her to voice it even to Kushina. " My plan is to find the secret Uchiha files in their Clan compound so I can get more of an idea of their Sharingan. The Mangekyo Sharingan isn't a normal level of Sharingan. I won't find that in some book. " She finally said, her determination growing every time she said it.

Kushina stopped walking immediately after she said that. Sakura stopped as well, curiously observing her red-headed ally. Kushina looked completely shocked, her navy-blue eyes widening and mouth gaping open. _Is she crazy or just stupid? That's the UCHIHA Clan she's talking about here. _She thought, anxious and disbelieving of Sakura's little _idea_. " Okay. Are you crazy, Sakura? " She questioned bluntly, almost voicing her exact thoughts. " That's the _Uchiha _Clan. They're extremely powerful and if you even _try _and mess with them, all you'll get is trouble. " Kushina said, almost worried about the risks Sakura was trying to take.

" Not crazy. Just practical. " Sakura corrected. " My enemy used a time-travel jutsu on me when I fought him with his Mangekyo Sharingan. It's one of the legends of the Uchiha Clan. " She informed. " So many techniques can be created out of their visual jutsu, to be honest it's not completely surprising one of them figured out something like that. " _Especially since that was Madara I was fighting. _Sakura added silently. " The point is, maybe if I get the files, I can read it and find out at least the _legend _of a time-travel jutsu. Then we'll go from that and-"

Kushina put her hand up to stop her from going any further. " So you have an outline of it so far. Good. But you're not completely understanding this, Sakura. " She began, her dark eyes darkened even more with doubt and worry. " If I'm getting this right, you want to literally _break in _the compound, totally stomp on a Clan's right of privacy of Clan secrets, _steal _files, and possibly turn the entire Uchiha Clan against _you _and worse, Lord Hokage. " The red-head assessed, feeling overwelming emotions of disbelief and concern. It take away every _single, shred _of pride she had in her to admit her concern was for Sakura.

The medic-nin stared at her in dismay, not at all liking the way Kushina had described what she had set out to deal. " You don't have to say it like _that_, you know. " Sakura muttered pathetically, the dangerous rules she was breaking sinking in even deeper than before.

" I'm just saying the truth. _That's _what your plan is, right? " She checked. Why should she sugarcoat _anything _Sakura was doing? This solution to getting back home seemed way too risky for her. There had to be another way to this that didn't involve her getting killed or thrown in prison the rest of her life.

" I just want to go home, Kushina. I know this was never going to be easy for me ever since I found out I was in your time. " The kunoichi replied, her voice almost pleading. " I have friends and family waiting back for me at home. I can't stay here. I _will not _to stay her any longer than I have to. You don't know what's happening in the future. A _war _is about to break where I'm from. " Sakura finally admitted, trying to get Kushina to see where she was coming from. " I'm a medical ninja and they need someone like me around. So that's why I'm willing to do whatever it takes to, even if that involves bending the village rules. " Sakura stated, her conviction unfaltering.

Kushina gazed at her, undisguised sympathy shining in her navy depths. " I get it, Sakura. If I'm honest, I would try just about anything to get home to if I were in your position. I'm sorry you had to be brought here with a war looming over back at your Konoha. " She confessed freely. " But _still_, there has to be more options to this! And I know I'm the last person to be saying something like this but what you plan on doing is way too dangerous and reckless. " She insisted passionately.

Sakura was staring at her in complete state of disbelief. _I think that's the first time I've ever seen Kushina say sorry about anything. Or been this nice to me. She's actually a really nice person. I can't believe I didn't see it earlier. _She realized, touched by the red-head's show of concern for her. She never expected this from someone who seemed so coarse on the outside. " I know it's not exactly free of risks but it's my only option. If I don't take or at least consider this possibility, I'll regret it forever. " She shot back stubbornly. No matter how grateful she was that Kushina cared enough to be worried for her, nothing would change her mind.

The air of compassion around the Chunin quickly evaporated, turning into a frustrated groan. " For Kami's sake, you're so damn stubborn, Sakura, -dattebane! " She put her head on her forehead and stomped her foot in an annoyed way, her patience beginning to wear thin. " You could be put in _prison _or _worse. _You have to know that, right? "

" Of course I do. But I'm still not changing my mind. " She said, her tone final. " It's a way to go back home. I'm not letting go of it. "

Kushina sighed loudly. " You aren't even sure if you'll find information about some dumb Time-Travel visual jutsu. For all you know, this could just end in complete disaster. You'll get caught and I get the right to say 'I told you so'. " She countered logically.

Sakura was quiet for a moment. " Well, I'll never know unless I try. " She replied firmly.

Kushina closed her eyes, one hand still resting on her forehead, the other on her hip. " You really _are _crazy. " She muttered in total annoyance before raising her head and looking at Sakura. " Well, I guess I'm crazy too. " She added in resignation.

Sakura looked startled. " You mean you'll-"

" Don't even finish that sentence. Of course I am. I promised you I'd help you, remember? " Kushina said. " As crazy as I think this is, I don't want you doing it alone. " She stated earnestly. She still had not dislodged the sickening sense of responsibility she felt for Sakura ever since she had rescued her. _I still don't like it at all ... why me? But Sakura's all alone on this. I can't let her do all of this by herself. She'll just get into more trouble. _

" Kushina, you really don't have to. It's not your problem, it's mine. And would if things turn bad. You'd get in trouble too. " Sakura argued immediately. The last thing she wanted was the red-head to be involved with her own risks.

She shrugged nonchalantly in response. " Then at least I had some fun. I love adventure and excitement. " Kushina grinned. " This is _definitely _some interesting stuff, I have to admit. " Kushina responded cheerfully, actually looking excited now and not the worry and annoyance she had shown mere moments before.

" You really don't-" Sakura began again.

" Shut up, Sakura. I'm going, -dattebane. Don't try changing my mind. " She shot back. Kushina had already realized what she was going to do and nothing Sakura would say to her would change it. The logical side of her hated this plan but the other side of her felt different. She was always up for some challenges. And Kushina Uzumaki would not be called a _coward_. She was fearless! _I wonder how Minato will take this? _She thought absently.

The medic-nin sighed a bit, looking annoyed. " You're pretty stubborn too, y'know that? " Sakura muttered in defeat. Kushina would never shut up about going along with it. She would _push _and _push _to the point of such extreme annoyance, Sakura would end up giving in any way. Call her selfish but she _really _didn't want to hear the constant nagging. Besides that complete truth, she actually found someone in on it with her comforting. _Never thought I'd think that. 'Kushina' and 'comforting' in the same sentence. _Sakura noted inwardly.

" Yeah, yeah. So I'm told. " She replied off-handedly, waving her hand dismissively. " So, when are we doing it? " She asked curiously.

Sakura crossed her arms, looking visibly thoughtful. " I'm not really sure. The Hokage said he'd talk with the advisors about it and-"

Kushina made a sound akin to an amused scoff. " Good luck with that. " The red-head retorted, obvious disbelief and amusement in her voice. " Those stuffy people are so hard-headed about political stuff like that, it'll be amazing if they even consider it. " She responded curtly.

The pink-haired girl glared at her a bit, annoyed that she was actually agreeing with her. " I know. But _still_, if there is any chance they _may _agree then I'm taking it. " Sakura insisted. She knew her odds weren't exactly great. They never were from the beginning. She realized that a while ago. But she couldn't help hoping. It was one of the few things that kept her going.

" You say that a lot, y'know. " Kushina noted flatly before continuing to walk with Sakura. " I guess I'll walk with you. Our houses are pretty much in the same direction, anyway. " She added logically.

* * *

Present: Fifth Hokage Tsunade, Advisors

" Princess Tsunade, you must stop wasting our ninja on tracking missions. " Koharu ordered, her tone clipped and faintly tinged with frustration.

" Yes. Don't forget the Fourth Great Ninja War is very soon to starting. We can't _afford _working our shinobi day after day. Their resources should be used for preparation and supplies, not the search of a medic-nin who's been MIA for almost a month. " Homura supplied emotionlessly.

" Be quiet, both of you. " Tsunade growled immediately. " I'm the _Hokage. _I realize the importance of our ninja focusing solely on the war efforts. " She acknowledged, raising her head to look at the elders.

" And yet you excert your people by ordering them to find Sakura for days on end. You have also yet to find any evidence that supports where her whereabouts currently are. " Homura argued. " We realize your emotional attachment to your student but it's unbecoming of a Hokage to let your personal feelings cloud your judgement. "

_Unbecoming? What the hell do you know about it?! You aren't dealing with what I am dealing with._ Tsunade thought angrily, fury at her advisors' arrogance and heartlessness. She wasn't blind. Tsunade knew her shinobi had been out for days at a time with no new evidence. She also knew that they had often come back tired only to be put to work right afterwards. Unfortunately for her, her damn advisors had noticed as well and consequently called this meeting with her. How she cursed her luck that she had to face their complaints.

" Sakura _is_ my student. Of course I don't want to stop looking for her. " Tsunade began, her voice barely even. They were _really _starting to antagonize her. " Sakura, however, is also one of the village's most skilled medical ninja. Her healing and medical expertise are invaluable to us, especially now. So in reality, searching for her and returning her to our village is not a complete liability. " She pointed out matter-of-factly, trying her best to appeal to her advisors logically.

Homura and Koharu looked at each other, seeming to share the same thoughts. Koharu was the one who voiced it this time. " Sakura is indeed an asset to Konoha but your point would matter more if you have found any clues to what happened to her during her misson to the Sand. You haven't, have you? " She questioned, sounding more like a statement than an actual question.

Tsunade raised herself from her chair, obvious anger in her face and body language. Her hands were on her desk, looking ready to squeeze the life out of something. " We don't know what has happened to Sakura. Nothing has been found the past few weeks. All the more reason why we _should keep _looking. " Tsunade answered furiously. She glared at them, daring them to argue any further.

The advisors looked startled and faintly frightened of their Hokage. " You are to show some more respect for your elders, Princess Tsunade. " Homura grumbled, rattled.

" Learn more self-control. " Koharu added angrily, detesting how impatient and ill-tempered the Fifth Hokage was.

Tsunade gave them a death glare, just about ready to choke them. She was _tired _of their patronizing and arrogance. Honestly, it was a miracle she hadn't beaten the life out of them already after all the criticising they have made of her. " You are _not _the Hokage, I am. " She reminded them icily. " If I feel the need to have my ninja continue looking for Sakura, then that's final. "

" Then you are a fool. " Homura insulted furiously. " And unfit to be Konoha's Hokage. " He said bluntly, disapproval and disdain dripping from his voice.

That did it. Tsunade got up and charged her two advisors, fury emitting from her that it was palpable. She grabbed them roughly by their collars with both hands and raised them up to look at them in the face. They seemed horrified by this unexpected action, sweat dripping down their faces in fear. " Unhand us! This is not appropriate behavior, Princess Tsunade! " Koharu ordered nervously.

" Oh, _shut up_! " Tsunade shouted, a large scowl marring her beautiful, youthful features. " Who do you think you are?! Ordering me around like some child! " She criticised. " I'm the rightful Hokage of this village and it isn't your place to overrule me. " She retorted frostily, before dropping them ungracefully to the floor. " I'll compromise with you. The search for Sakura will continue at least until the war starts. If she is not found by then ..." Tsunade trailed away for a second, her voice failing her momentarily. " Then ... all of our ninja will be focused on the war. We cannot afford them for something as serious and important as this. " She admitted grudgingly. " Understand? " She prompted, tone still unfriendly.

Homura and Koharu once again shared a glance before getting off the floor after the rough handling the Hokage had presented them with. " We accept your terms only _if _you lesson the time and number of ninja on these parties. " Homura stated, Koharu nodding in agreement.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes threateningly for a moment before turn her back against them, saying in disgust " Fine. Just get out of my sight. " If they stayed there any longer, she was afraid she would do something violent.

The elders glared at the woman's back unabashedly now that she wasn't looking before acquiescing and leaving behind her makeshift office.

When she was sure they were gone, Tsunade sighed heavily. Stress, misery, and defeat were fighting her at all sides, making the level of her emotional limit being unbearable. She sat behind her desk again and put her hands clasped together. For once, she actually didn't feel like drinking any sake even though it lay free of use right in front of her. _A war is on the horizon ... in a week it will start. I truly don't have time to search for Sakura. _She sighed again, her amber eyes pools of distress and guilt. _I'm sorry Sakura ... wherever you are, I just hope you're alive. If you are, whatever situation you're in, just be strong. As your master, I wouldn't expect anything less from you. _Tsunade thought, smiling bitterly. _The village needs me more than you do._

* * *

Past: Kushina Uzumaki & Sakura Haruno

Sakura and Kushina had walked together in mostly a companionable silence until the red-head in question had started chattering animatedly about her teammates, training, and then about their " plan " involving the Uchihas. Apparently, Kushina hated silences of any kind, awkward or not. Truthfully, Sakura felt the urge to shut her up after about ten minutes of nonstop talking. _It's times like this I miss when she hated me. _She grumbled innerly.

" Hey, are you even listening to me, -dattebane!?" Kushina shouted at her indignantly, finally noticing the noncommittal answers and faint traces of a scowl on the pinkette's face. _She better not be ignoring me! I HATE being ignored. _She openly glowered at Sakura, annoyed.

Sakura jumped a bit and then stared back at her. Kushina was frowning at her in such a childish manner it almost made her laugh. _It's such a Naruto-thing to do. _She realized once again, baffled and amused by Kushina's personality. She still missed Naruto more than she really cared to admit and _sometimes _being with the red-head made her feel better. Sakura still didn't truly understand it but Kushina was at times so much like Naruto, it made her feel like he was actually here. She never thought she'd miss his loud complaining and annoying childishness but she did. _She has to have some sort of connection to Naruto ... what is it though? It's on the tip of my tongue. I just know it!_ It was upsetting how difficult I felt for her to grasp it but it continued to escape her.

" Oh, of course I am. " Sakura lied, smiling falsely. Her words were contradicted even more when Inner Sakura finally woke. **'****Hell No! Just shut up already, Kushina! Shannaro!' **Inner Sakura screamed in her psyche, raising her fist. She shook her irritating inner voice off and refocused her attention on the Chunin.

Kushina had her arms crossed, looking at her with a unconvinced, bothersome expression on her face. " You're a _really _bad liar, y'know that? " She stated pointedly.

Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance. " Whatever. " She answered back, not feeling the urge to deny it. She _was _a bad liar. Most of the people she knew had called her that at some point or another. Suddenly, she recalled that Kushina had completely _omitted _Minato from her no-direction chatter. That striked Sakura as odd, especially now that she knew the red-head's feelings for the blonde Jonin. " Hey, what's up with you and Minato? You don't mention him eariler, did you? " She inquired curiously.

The red-head scowled immediately at that reminder. She had done _so _well at suppressing Minato thanks to all the excitement of the Uchiha files plot and now Sakura just _had _to bring him up. _Thanks so much, Sakura. _Kushina thought sarcastically. They continued walking again. " So? I don't have to mention him _every _day, do I? " She grumbled.

" Well, no. " Sakura agreed, noticing curiously how touchy Kushina was being when Minato was brought up. _What's that about? _She wondered. " You usually do, though. Did you two have a fight? " She asked.

Kushina made a loud scoffing sound and immediately halted again. She faced Sakura, her fist raised, wide apart legs, and an annoyed look. " No! Of course not. Minato and I don't get into big arguments unless it's really serious. " She objected right away.

" Okay. " Sakura said. " Then what's going on? Did you tell Minato how you feel? " She pried, not stopping herself from asking. She wasn't as gossip-obsessed as Ino was but that doesn't mean she didn't have an interest in it.

Kushina looked outraged as soon as those words left Sakura's mouth. " What the hell are you talking about, -dattebane?! There is _nothing _to tell. I don't love Minato! Now shut up about it, -dattebane! " She snapped angrily, eyes glaring at the pink-haired girl. _She shouldn't be telling me what I feel. She can't even understand her own feelings. _

Sakura blinked in confusion. _Why can't she just admit she loves Minato? There's nothing wrong with it. He's a really nice person. _She thought, bewildered. " Kushina, Minato loves you. You have to admit you at least _have _feelings for him. " She pressed.

Kushina covered her ears, her annoyance reaching an entirely new level. " Ugh! Just be quiet already! I know he has feelings for me now. " Kushina finally admitted. " But I do _not _love him, -dattebane. " She continued to protest.

She raised a brow, crossing her arms. " So ... what? You're just gonna have him suffer from unrequited love? Shame on you, Kushina. " Sakura replied smoothly, a devious smirk beginning to pull at her lips. _I know how she's going to react to that. _She thought. She was in love with Minato no matter how much she denied it.

The red-head's expression faltered. " No! Of course not! " She fired back immediately. The medic-nin she was talking to had a smirk that grew wider every second. Before she could say anything, Kushina sputtered back " Wait, no! What I _mean _is ... he'll get over it. " She argued weakly, sickened by the way that possibility actually upset her. _Why does that bother me?_

" I don't know ... " Sakura said, closing her eyes. " It depends on how stubborn he is. Is he stubborn, Kushina? " She asked teasingly. Maybe it was Ino's dark influence over her since she was younger but Sakura was really starting to enjoy poking at the red-head's obvious affection for Minato. " Besides, do you even _want _him to get over you? "

She scowled at the pinkette, furious and rattled by the smug amusement she could see plainly on Sakura's face. _dammit, dammit, dammit. This is pissing me off. _Kushina ranted internally, trying to some comeback that didn't seem entirely lame. " You're a baka, -dattebane! " The red-head settled on, temporarily satisfied by that response.

Sakura looked at her in mock hurt. " A well-known baka calling me a baka? That hurts my feelings. " She pouted fakely. Kushina was _so easy _to tease, especially when it came to Minato. _You know, this is really fun. _Sakura reflected.

" Well, you are -dattebane! " Kushina retorted, ignoring the baka barb Sakura had thrown back at her. " You're even more emotionally messed up than I am. You say I love Minato when _you _keep denying that you love Naruto. You don't know _what _you're talking about. " She argued bluntly.

This got Sakura's attention. " You're wrong, Kushina. I don't feel that way about him. " Sakura stated, annoyed. " Why do you keeping saying that? " She questioned angrily. _I love Sasuke-kun ... only Sasuke-kun ... right? _She wondered doubtfully, confusion creeping up on her in the corners of her mind. _Do I? I don't know anymore._

" Because it's so obvious! " Kushina answered. " The way talk about him, the way you _look _when you talk about him. That whole sob story you told me about how guilty you felt because of that promise thing. " She added, remembering vividly how heartbroken and upset she was during that day in the library. " If even _I_ can see it, then that's gotta tell ya how obvious it is. " She told her honestly, sounding less annoyed than before.

" I care about Naruto a lot, Kushina. He's probably the best friend I've ever had. I would do anything for him. " Sakura confessed honestly, before sighing. " But I _can't _love him. First of all, I don't deserve it. I never did. " She felt old self-loathing creep in her again, even in her tone. " But it's more than that. Not only do I not do enough for him, I'm in love with someone else. " Sakura said, her voice wavering with sorrow. _Or at least, I think I am. _She thought doubtfully.

" What? Sasuke-teme? " The red-head supplied, unimpressed. _I don't understand her. The guy's a traitor who left his village. How can still love a person who betrayed everyone he cared about by leaving? It's dumb and he broke her heart._ " If you're so sure you only love him, then why is that every time I mention you liking your other teamate, you look confused? " Kushina asked, earning a startled look from Sakura. " You say you don't love Naruto but almost every time you do, you look like you don't what the hell you're saying. " She noted honestly, looking puzzled.

Sakura frowned in thought, equally taken off guard by Kushina's words and her use of the disrespectful suffix _-teme _at the end of Sasuke's name. _Naruto used to add that to Sasuke's name too sometimes, when he was really upsetting him about something. _She recalled, once again stumped by Kushina's similarities to Naruto.

She pushed it away for later, knowing that the red-head was waiting for her answer. She sighed heavily and did not meet her eyes. " You want to know the truth? " Sakura began reluctantly. " That's because I'm still working things out. " She finally admitted. It took her forever to even admit that to herself ever since Naruto returned from his training with Jiraiya over a year ago. _I think this is the first time I ever told anyone this, except for Ino. _Sakura reflected, before continuing on. " I honestly don't know what I feel for Naruto. It's been really confusing for a while now. All I know is I still have feelings for Sasuke-kun. "

" I knew it. " Kushina said suddenly, looking like a lightbulb just went on in her head. " You love Naruto but you're in denial over it so that's why you're confused. It makes perfect sense! " The red-head claimed triumphantly. _Sakura really is blind. Maybe I can help her with this too. _Kushina wondered. She wasn't really in to romance but sorting out Sakura's emotional words sounded like a challenge and something to keep her busy. _I love challenges. _She thought eagerly.

Sakura glared at her, indigantion rising up in her chest. " Who said I'm in denial about anything? " She grumbled. " I'm just a little lost, that's all. If anything you're the one in denial. " She said pointedly, an edge of irritation in her voice.

" Am not, -dattebane! It's true, -dattebane! Minato is my friend, -dattebane! " The red-headed Chunin denied furiously, almost biting her tongue off when she realized she had said 'dattebane' three times in row. _Smooth, Kushina. _She thought angrily, embarassed at her nervous slip of a word.

" Admit, Kushina. You're just as confused as I am and you know it. " Sakura claimed, rounding the corner to her apartment near the Hyuga compound. _I wonder how long it's gonna take her to admit she loves Minato? Probably forever. She can't even admit she's confused. _Sakura answered her own question quick enough.

" I am _not _confused! " She shouted angrily, unknowingly proving Sakura's inner monologue correct. " You can't tell me how I feel, -dattebane! " Kushina argued stubbornly. _Sakura-pinky's such a know-it-all. Like's she's smarter than me or something. _The red-head glared at her once more at least for the millionth time that day.

" You can't tell me what I feel either. " Sakura countered logically, looking at her curiously. _I think I might try to get Kushina to realize she loves Minato. It's no going to be easy. The girl has way too much pride for that but maybe I'll get somewhere with her. _Sakura realized, coming to the conclusion that Kushina was never going to realize she wanted to be with Minato unless she was given a little push. Preferably from Sakura herself.

Kushina just muttered something that sounded faintly like '_You're just too stupid to figure it out yourself' _but Sakura ignored the insult. Instead, she frowned deeply in thought. _Kushina's connection to Naruto ... what is it? _As she finally reached the door to her apartment, that thought continually tossed itself inside her mind. The red-headed kunoichi paused by the door, about to leave until she noticed the intense, concentrated stare the pink-haired girl had cast on her.

" Why are you staring at me? " Kushina asked out loud, bewilderment on her pale face. _Seriously, can she stop that? It's creeping me out. _She knew Sakura sometimes stared at her longer than necessary, usually when she believed she wasn't looking. And every time, the medic-nin would stare at her with a searching type of gaze, like she was trying to figure out something that she could only understand by looking at her. It was, to be honest, unnerving.

She ignored the Chunin's question, continuing to study her carefully. _It's her face ... the shape of her eyes ... dattebane ... that's it! __She's Naruto's mother! _Sakura finally realized. Shock swirled inside her so quickly it was unbelievable. It all made sense now. The way her face looked and how she sometimes would remind her of Naruto when she was upset, angry, cheerful and more importantly, the way she grinned when she was _really_, _really_ happy. All the personality traits she had like Naruto: his playfulness, mischievousness, stubbornness, his hot-tempered and impatient nature. _I've been so stupid. I can't believe I didn't realize it earlier. It was obvious right from the first time she used dattebane and I found out she was a Uzumaki. _Sakura honestly felt like slapping herself for her denseness.

" Well, I'm going to go now. " Kushina informed her, still frowning at Sakura before turning to walk the other way, her hands behind her head in a boyish manner. _Whatever's wrong with her, I hope she snaps out of it. _She thought, faintly worried.

" YOU'RE NARUTO'S MOTHER!" Sakura blurted out uncontrollably, too stunned by this realization to find the strength to stop herself from saying it. _I can't believe it ... I MET Naruto's mother ... I argued with Naruto's mother ... I TOLD her about Naruto ... ! Am I dreaming? _She wondered. This whole thing seemed completely unreal. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect a situation like this would occur.

Kushina turned around immediately, staring at her oddly. " Did I hear you right? What are you talking about?! " She asked her, confused and aggravated. _Did she just call me her teammate's mother or what?_ Kushina wondered in complete disbelief.

" You heard what I said. You're Naruto's mother. You look and act just like him. " Sakura replied, abandoning complete self-control at the moment.

Kushina walked back to her, having a expression mixed with disbelief/annoyance. " How can you be so sure, -dattebane? Did someone actually _tell _you already that I'm his mother in your time, -dattebane? And if they did, why didn't you frickin tell me, -dattebane?! " Kushina growled angrily. _She's crazy. I never really cared about having children. She has to be mistaken. _She thought, feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable by this topic.

Sakura paused for a minute. " Not really but I don't need to. Naruto has your personality and the face and eye shape. Plus, he always says 'dattebyo' when's he's nervous or angry. That's a _lot _like 'dattebane'. _And _he's a sixteen-year-old Uzumaki. " She verified. " I'm almost positive that he's your son, Kushina. " She continued.

The red-head scowled. " You mean my son's cursed with something as terrible as 'dattebane'? How does he live with that? " Kushina shook her head. " If I ever have children, I don't want to pass down 'dattebane'. It's an annoying habit. " She said matter-of-factly. _I have a son? That's impossible. _She denied vehmently, refusing to fully believe it.

" Actually, he doesn't really care that he says 'dattebyo'. Personally, I think half the time he doesn't even notice he says it. " Sakura admitted, her mind still reeling with the fact that she had actually been saved and befriended Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's birth mother. _Why am I telling her all this? Do I want to ruin everything? She shouldn't know about this yet. _She thought in frustration, knowing full well that it was too late to take her words back.

" I still don't believe you, though. " Kushina reminded her. " You don't know for sure if I'm Naruto's mom anyway. You're just assuming. " She argued weakly, unable to accept now all the support that she was faced with of Sakura's claim. " I'm leaving. It's nighttime now and my Mom wants my home. "

Kushina turned away from her, just about ready to leave. However, she couldn't stop herself from saying one more thing. " Besides, Sakura, do you have _any _idea how awkward it would be if I rescued the girl my future son fell in love with? The fact that you're also in love with _him, _whether you realize it or not, means I've been hanging out with Naruto's future girlfriend or wife or whatever. It makes it even more weird. " Kushina shook her head. " I'm still sixteen for Kami's sake. That's just creepy. " She added with a disconcerted frown. _I think that's also why I don't wanna believe it. _Kushina realized, slightly disturbed by that scenerio.

Sakura's emerald eyes widened. Oh, she agreed with the creepy factor. She had bonded with the red-headed girl lately, only to realize it was her teammate's mother. That was completely awkward but she again didn't like the way Kushina had so easily said she was in love with Naruto. " Kushina, wait -" The Chunin ignored her, already several yards away from Sakura's location. " -I don't love Naruto. " She finished lamely, watching the retreating figure of Kushina disappear completely.

* * *

**A/N: I think is is the first time I ever published a chapter on a Monday night XD. I meant to publish it Sunday but this Chapter was pretty long and because I started a little late, it took me at least two days XD. But anyways, I finally finished it for you guys obviously. I liked this chapter. I know that Sharingan aspect of this chap wasn't included in the poll but I felt it was necessary for the plot to move along a little. Personally, I think one of my favorite parts was when Kushina didn't approve of Sakura's risky plan to get Clan secrets. I wanted to portray that as immature and hot-headed young Kushina can be at times, she really does have a compassionate and responsible side to her. Sakura never really noticed it until now. But I loved how the Kushi/Saku bonding was done right there. :)**

**And you wanted cuts to the present which I did do, with Tsunade. I wanted to cut to the Konoha 11 and how they're dealing with Sakura's disappearance but this chapter would've been too long that way XD. Same with the Sanin appearing in the past :P. And I love Sakura and Kushina's adorable denial about Minato and Naruto XD. Especially Kushina's :P because she's way too prideful for her own good :D. Sakura is too but not as much as Kushina. Both of them want to help with their love lives, another similarity between them XD. Best part of this Chapter: when Sakura finally realized Kushina was Naruto's mother. Both Sakura and Kushina's reactions were completely priceless and it's about time I brought it up :). Next chapter includes how they deal and cope with the revelation. ;)**

**SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 11: **Third Hokage goes up against his advisors, deciding the fate of Sakura's plan while Kushina and Sakura learn to cope with their emotional feelings regarding the shocking truth of Kushina being the future mother of Naruto, all the while dealing with their personal feelings about both their blondes. Back in the present, Konoha 11 discuss Sakura and her disappearance, coming to a final conclusion.

**_Reviews always make me happy! ;)_**


	11. Chapter 11: Important Decisions

**A/N: **When's the last time I updated? Several weeks, right? XD God, I am _so, so _sorry about that. I can't exactly explain it right but I was suffering from a major case of "lack of motivation". Never happened to me before in this fic but it did the last few weeks. I started it but I'd never actually try and, I guess, _diligently _work on it. Just short intervals here and there (more so than usual) and viola ... two or three complete weeks late update ;P. I swear, I'm going to try very hard to not and make a habit out of this. I always hate it when I have to wait for updates for stories I like longer than usual. It's just terrible! So yes, I finally managed to get this out. :)

Anyway, last chapter I let Sakura to drop the bomb of Kushina being Naruto's mother. I figured Sakura would be too shocked to think about _not _telling her and only realize the consequences later. Also, for plot purposes XD 'cause I enjoy working at this angle of Kushina possibly knowing she has a son later in life. I also had an uncontrollable urge to have Minato in this (for those of you who missed him last chapter) XD so enjoy that. :)

We saw Sakura propose her plan to Kushina and how our favorite red-head immediately doubted it, rare for Kushina. What will Minato have to say about it? Will the Hokage's advisors approve of Sakura's plan? And what are the Konoha 9 up to back in the present? You'll find this out below ;) ...

_Constructive criticism is always welcome :) even though I never get it XD. _

**Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto and never will. If I did, ObiRin would have became canon, Sasuke would return to Konoha ( Yeah, he's an ass but I have a soft spot for SasuNaru), and Kabuto's status as a "villain" would not have been destroyed by Kishimoto. More importantly, he wouldn't be alive now ( I completely hate Kabutomaru).**

* * *

_Important Decisions_

" Kushina! Pay attention! " snapped a woman in her thirties, appearing to wear typical Jonin vests. Long, straight black hair fell down her shoulders, meanwhile framing her elegant face. She was glowering at the said red-head in question, a glint of frustration in her light eyes. " We're on a mission. This is no time to fall back in your usual scatter-brained antics. " She reprimanded sharply, causing her other two younger companions to briefly direct their attention to the Chunin.

Kushina started at the sound of her sensei's voice, holding a now familiar edge of sternness and exasperation. " Got it, Eri-sensei. " She complied a bit sullenly. _Usual? I'm always at my best on missions! _She couldn't help protesting inwardly but could not find the courage to voice it. _It's just some lame scouting mission. Nothing exciting or even much of a big deal! But she wouldn't be Eri-sensei if she wasn't serious. _Kushina reflected resignedly, almost sighing.

Eri Yamanaka regarded her charge, the seriousness in her pale blue eyes not having faltered in the least. " This may be a scouting mission but it doesn't make it any less important." Eri began, seeming to read Kushina's thoughts perfectly. What if an enemy had evaded are village? No matter what it is, it's her duty as ninja to carry it out _without _complaint or distraction. " She lectured sagely.

" I get it, sensei, -dattebane! " Kushina growled, her passive-aggressiveness starting to seep through. She ground her teeth slightly. _I always hate how intuitive Eri-sensei is. It's like she can read minds! It's creepy! _She thought in annoyance, barely stopping herself from arguing. She respected and loved Eri but it didn't stop her from being any less bothersome. " And I wasn't complaining. Complaining is for little kids, -dattebane. " Kushina added insistently. _I don't complain. People who complain all the time is annoying and definitely not me! _

The Jonin's response was nearly that of a narrowed gaze before she abruptly began to shift her focus to the purpose of the mission: scouting. Kushina's male teammates, Masumi Uchiha and Takeshi Inuzuka, quickly did the same, branching out into different directions.

All except Kushina. She sighed a little, feeling completely worn out. It wasn't like she wasn't trying. She initially believed a mission would keep her mind off of her increasingly confusing, irritating thoughts. Much to her chagrin though, the complete opposite ended up happening. _It's all Sakura's fault. Why does she tell me things like this? I didn't want to know about how Minato felt about me and I _definitely _did not want to know about having kids! _Kushina still felt dazed by Sakura's assumption. Like her mind was in some sort of state of suspended animation and wouldn't quite wake up. That was the reason for her distractions today and though she hated to admit it, Eri had been right.

Finally regaining her energy, the young kunoichi went up quickly towards the East section of the road outside Konoha Gates. They were ordered to look over the outside perimeter at least three miles of Konoha, reports being sent out of unidentified ninja wandering the area. Being as careful as the village was after times of war, they immediately sent Team Eri to oversee the place.

While her body jumped from place to place gracefully and her navy-blue eyes searched with as much intensity as possible, her mind was still somewhere else. _No one's here ... but I'll still have to stay here a few hours. Just to be safe. Eri-sensei would kill me if I did nothing. _Immediately, Kushina did hand signs, quietly chanting the words _'Shadow Clone Jutsu' _before three kunoichi identical to herself took form. " Okay, guys. You know what to do. " She said to her clones.

They nodded to the original Kushina, before splitting off themselves too in different directions, without a word. After they had left, Kushina sat down on the grass, attempting to focus a bit more. Every time she tried though, her mind would once again wander and it was hard to stay on task. Sakura's words echoed in her ears vividly.

_' I don't need to. Naruto has your personality and face and eye shape. Plus, he always says dattebyo when he's angry or nervous. That's a lot like dattebane. ' _

She closed her eyes tightly at the memory, trying to will it away but it was no use. _I have a son ... with who? Why? Is it Minato? _Kushina suddenly wondered, startled at how the immediate person she thought of to be the father was Minato. That shock was soon after followed with mortification and anger. She hated how even the _thought _ of that possibility ( No, not possibility! _I__mpossibility!_) immediately fascinated her but it also scared her at the same time. Minato was her best friend and she'll always support him. But it's because of the fact that they're such good friends, they'd never get married or be together. Kushina wished this to be true and for now, that conclusion satisfied her.

_Maybe Sakura is right ... I actually_ am_ Naruto's mom. I don't know anyone else besides me who says something like dattebane or dattebyo, not even my parents. I know I never thought about kids before but anything can happen in ten years ... _Kushina felt some of her reservations fading, intense curiosity beginning to rise in the process. _Mom once said I'd be a good mother someday. I don't why. I'm not exactly the patient type for anything, let alone raising kids. That's parents for ya. Always seeing the best in you. _Kushina thought in puzzlement, getting up from the ground to try to resume her scouting. It _was _her mission, after all.

" I'll ask Pinky more about it later when I get the chance. " Kushina decided, before a slight frown sprung up on her face. " Hopefully she doesn't try to avoid answering it. She always does that when I ask about her time! " She added, slight annoyance coloring her voice. She moved her arms in a fired up motion, a determined gleam entering her eyes. " Okay, Red Habanero, -dattebane! Start paying attention, -dattebane." Kushina claimed exuberantly.

* * *

_~~Sakura~~  
_

_The pink-haired medic-nin suddenly blinked, looking around to see the abrupt changes of surroundings. As her eyes began to focus more and pick up on the details, her emerald eyes widened in stunned realization. It was Konoha, in the middle of the village streets. Not the perfectly build Konoha with completed buildings that was beginning to get accustomed to, thanks to the past weeks she had resided there. _Her _Konoha; the one terribly underdone with odd patches of large tents and scant finished buildings, more incompleted ones. ' I'm home ... somehow. Weeks after being sent back in time ... I'm finally home. ' Sakura thought, disbelief scorching through her. _

_She took several hesitant steps before gaining confidence little by little. Her joy and relief at the sight of her home consumed her so strongly, the rational part of her forgot to question _how _she ended up there or even why the streets seemed devoid of the village civilians that so often littered the streets. All that mattered to her was that she was home and nothing else. ' Ino ..! Lady Tsunade! My parents! I can see them again. They don't have to worry anymore .. ' Sakura realized, elated that her loved ones no longer needed to suffer. The constant burden of guilt she was carrying could be lifted and her friends would be happy. _

_As if on cue, Ino suddenly rounded the corner, Shikamaru and Choji following. Their pace was slow and sluggish, weighed down by heavy weights it seemed._

_" Ino! Shikamaru! " Sakura called excitedly, waving at them and walking up to them, wanting to greet her friends more closely. " Hey! I'm back. " She added cheerfully. _

_The entirety of Team Ten ignored her completely, showing no sign that they had heard her. It was then that Sakura finally noticed a striking difference in them, something she had completely overlooked in her happiness of seeing her home after so long. Shikamaru and Choji looked depressingly somber, as if a big and dark thunder-cloud was looming overhead with no intention of ceasing._

_ But that wasn't all of it. It was Ino's appearance that really shocked her. She had dark circles under her usually fair skin, immediately indicating a lack of sleep that Sakura couldn't even begin to wonder how long. Her slender shoulders were racked with sobs, loud and sorrowful; tears fell down her face in an agonized rush, staining her plain black outfit instead of her purple, confident shinobi wear. ' That's funeral wear ... Shikamaru and Choji are wearing it too. What happened? ' Sakura wondered in concerned and helplessness. It was unlike Ino who always seemed so strong, to break down and cry. _

_Shikamaru was patting her shoulder at an attempt at comfort. Unfortunately, it did very litle to calm down him teammate. " Stop crying Ino ... it won't bring her back. " Despite his straightforward claim, his voice sounded sincerely sympathtic and depressed all at once. _

_Ino managed to force out some barely coherent words through her tears. " I-I ... know I always teased her a-and insulted her b-but .. " She trailed off for a moment, not being able to bring herself to say it immediately. " B-But I'd give anything to see Forehead again. She was my best friend! " She finished finally, sniffling and tears still remaining strong. _

_Sakura stared for a second, shocked at what she had just heard. ' She's crying about me .. ?! I'm right here! ' Sakura thought, horrified. " Ino, it's okay. I'm right - " Acting on instinct, she reached out to touch her friend's arm, only to have it phase right through her like nothing. - " here. What?!" She exclaimed, shocked. The answer came to her right away. ' They _can't _see me. I'm invisible. ' She realized in horror._

_Shikamaru and Choji both continued to comfort her, while Ino forced herself to add, " First Asuma-sensei, now _this! _Sakura didn't deserve to die. " She cried out, tears still flowing freely behind her closed eyelids._

_" I'm _not _dead, Ino! I'm perfectly fine! " Sakura couldn't help protesting her best friend's misunderstanding, despite knowing full well that none of them could hear_ or_ see her._

_Choji seemed to be about to say something to the grief-filled blonde but the scenery changed abruptly, much to Sakura's confusion. It cut to a funeral area. All of the rookies surrounded the memorial stone near the Third Training Field, being one of the few things that remained intact when Pain had destroyed Konoha. Sakura gasped in devastation and misery, as she saw her name _Sakura Haruno _engraved in the stone. ' That's not right! I wasn't killed in action! I'm still alive! ' Sakura protested indignantly, her horror building impossibly higher as she saw more and more of this terrible event._

_Ino was now suddenly there with her teammates, still shedding silent tears from her icy blue eyes as she stared at the stone. Lee was crying terrifying loud and hard and not in the usual annoying bordering on comical way. Hinata cried softly, not surprising Sakura at all given the Hyuuga's gentle and compassionate nature. She could hear the gentle, distraught words from the kunoichi to her cousin Neji. " Sakura-san was kind ... a-and strong." She heard her say sadly. " She's N-N-Naruto-kun's teammate?! He lost Sasuke-kun .. what would he do without her? " Her voice rose to a wail, displeasure and grief seen plainly._

_Her teammates, Sai and Kakashi, looked completely miserable themselves. Neither of them were crying but Sakura could making a hopeless, guilt-ridden expression of failure under Kakashi's mask while Sai simply looked lost. " Stop it! I'm not dead! Shannaro, I AM NOT DEAD! " Sakura shouted at the top of her lungs, unable to bear the sight of her friends in such misery. _

_But the worst for Sakura was her parents. Mebuki and Kizashi were sobbing so hard and openly they couldn't bring themselves to say anything. They just embraced each other and shared their tears. The pink-haired girl's eyes grew even larger than usual, unshed tears springing up in her eyes, just waiting to fall. " Mom, Dad ... I'm sorry. I don't want this! " She told them tearfully, her voice breaking under the emotional toll as she stood closer to her parents._

_Before Sakura could completely break down and cry with everyone else, she caught sight of her master, Tsunade standing at the front with Shizune. Being the Hokage and prideful woman that she was, she retained her composure but the depth of heartbreak and hopelessness in her amber eyes said more to Sakura than tears or words ever could. Somehow, Tsunade managed to raise her voice over the sobbing. " Sakura was one of a kind. She was strong-willed and independent. Stubborn and ill-tempered maybe but she was ... " Tsunade paused, her voice flat. " One of the most loyal and caring people I've ever met. She was one of the most skilled medics I'd ever had the honor to meet ... she would have surpassed me one day. I have no doubt. " The Hokage finished, unable to say anything more than that._

_That did it. The pink-haired teenager cried, finally allowing her tears to streak down her face. ' No ... this is a nightmare. I ... HATE this!' Sakura thought in despair. This was something she never wanted. To see all of those she cared for suffering, it was terrible. ' Why can't they see me? I'm not gone. ' She ranted miserly in her mind._

_Through her tears, Sakura was able to make out a shape standing in front of her. It was a person. A _very _familiar one at that. As soon as she caught sight of the trademark orange-and-black jumpsuit, her heart leapt in her throat. " Naruto? " She said in surprise, temporarily ceasing her crying._

_Her friend was looking at her strangely but seemed to be receptive. " Sakura, it's you. " He noted, his voice flat. The usual cheerfulness and warmth when he addressed Sakura wasn't there, even the affectionate '-chan' suffix removed._

_She walked closer up to him, actually blocking out the funeral scene from behind her. The several feet between them was swallowed up and Sakura stared at him, confusion settling all over her face. " You can see me. Why is everyone else ignoring me? " She questioned before shaking her head. " Forget it. This is all so terrible, Naruto! " Sakura wailed out of habit, unable to suppress the urge to tell him her feelings. " Everyone's so upset. I promised myself I'd come back for them and that I won't give up. And _this _is why! " Sakura screamed a bit in frustration, her emerald gaze glinting with regret. " Madara attacked me while on a mission and ever since, I had to deal with so much, Naruto! Distrusting villagers, strangers, confinement. And that's not even the worst of it! That guy sent me back in the past using- Ugh! I don't even know. " Sakura continued in annoyed hopelessness. " It's so hard, Naruto. I'm not even sure if I will get back to Konoha. " She admitted finally, her tone vulnerable and broken. _

_She would never have been able to voice her doubts out loud. Normally, Sakura would be optimistic and ignore just how much she _worried _she would reverse the jutsu. To all except Naruto. He was a lot of things but when it came to her, she knew with a certainty the only response she'd get out of him was understanding, gentleness, and blind faith. Sakura missed that so much now, she was surprised she hadn't embraced him in her relief to see his familiar face again. Right then, the only thing she could even register was that Naruto was somehow here and she welcomed it more than anything else in the world._

_Naruto blinked at her long-winded, fast-paced words, appearing strangely indifferent. This was what finally caught on to Sakura who until then had been too worked up to appropriately gauge the blonde's reactions. When he had greeted her, he didn't sound happy or even pleasantly cordial. ' Wait a sec ... he didn't even add '-chan' to my name. He always does that. ' Sakura remembered, worry beginning to finally cloud over. Naruto only dropped the '-chan' when he was serious or depressed. His lengthy silence stretched on for a few more minutes, strengthening her concerns. ' Okay ... Naruto's not the type to be speechless. What's wrong with him?' She wondered. " Naruto ... what's wrong with you? Did something happen? " Sakura finally inquired fretfully, concern replacing her earlier confusion at her best friend's attitude._

_The blonde stared at her again. It began to seriously unnerve Sakura. Usually, he would immediately try to cheer her up or at least attempt to make her feel a bit more confident. Naruto reacted emotionally towards just about anything, especially when she was involved, was just not him. She didn't like this ... this desolate look in his bright blue eyes. " Naruto! Say something, -shannaro!" She insisted, a clear edge of anger in her tone the more he didn't answer her._

_Finally, he spoke up. " Just ... don't come back at all, Sakura. " Naruto replied bluntly. " Why don't you just stay back in that past thing or whatever. It's not like me or anyone else really needs you back home. " He continued, sounding uncharacteristically firm._

_Sakura backed away, startled.' Did he really just say that ... to ME?' " What? Naruto, why are you saying this? " She asked, her voice trembling a little in hurt. ' Does he ... not want me back? ' That possibility immediately sounded ridiculous to her. Naruto would never tell her something like that; she was his teammate and best friend!_

_Nevertheless, his expression changed from its previous detachment. His bright blue eyes, which usually looked so sparkling and warm at her, were now staring back at her differently. They contained coldness, anger, and if she looked hard enough to see ... a pain so raw and sharp it made Sakura's heart split in two. Never had she seen this emotion directed from him before ... at least to her. ' Naruto, why are you so angry? ' She wondered despairingly, the sight of him worked up like this almost as painful to her as his words of not coming back._

_" Don't come back, Sakura. Stay in the past so I wouldn't have to see you anymore, -dattebyo! " He growled angrily, a furious and pain-filled light entering his gaze._

_The pink-haired girl back away again, her puffy, red eyes once again beginning to her watery. " W-Why? What did I-" Sakura tried to say, horror and grief slowing eating away at her. ' I know I made mistakes, Naruto ... but you forgave me, right? You always forgive me. ' She pleaded to herself._

_" Don't act dumb, Sakura! You're not a stupid person. " He carried on, beginning to pace a little. " You _know _what you did. Back in the Kage Summit, you _lied _to me. Used my feelings for you so you could kill Sasuke yourself. How can you do that, Sakura -dattebyo?! Are you that heartless? " He criticized harshly, suffering and rage in every muscle of his body. _

_Sakura took a few step towards him, trying to calm down her rattled friend. Unshed tears glimmering in her emerald gaze, she shakily forced out, " No, Naruto! No! I was _trying _to protect you from Sasuke-kun. I never wanted to hurt you! " She confessed desperately, moving her hands in a relaxing motion to him. " I swear! I knew you couldn't take it when you found out everyone gave up on Sasuke-kun. It would've been too hard on you and I wanted to avoid that. " She continued helplessly, guilt coming back to her even as she said those words._

_Naruto's eyes remained hard, glaring down at her. " Save it, Sakura. I don't why I defended and protected you for so long. You're not the person I thought you were. All you ever think about is yourself and Sasuke. " He said lividly. " You don't care about me. If you did, you wouldn't take advantage of me all the time. " _

_" No ... no Naruto, that's not true. I _do _care. " Sakura argued softly, finally allowing herself to cry. ' Naruto ... I'm so sorry. You're right. I _am _selfish. But I never thought hearing you say all this would hurt so much! ' She thought miserably. Every pain-filled remark he spat out at her was just as gut-wrenching and cutting as a kunai knife to the heart. ' I know I deserve this ... every bit of it. But it's so painful, Naruto ... you'll never understand just how much you're hurting me.' _

_ Truthfully, it surprised her. Sasuke's indifference, turn to darkness, and barbed remarks he threw out her so often were another heartache of hers, one that continually plagued her. But it wasn't new. She had slowly grown used to the constant angst and self-pity her love for Sasuke brought into her life over the past four years. But this was different. Naruto was always so loving and supportive of her. He never abandoned her or brought her down. Somehow ... seeing Naruto hating her hurt even more._

_" You don't, Sakura. You're too in love with Sasuke to ever actually give a damn enough about me, -dattebyo. " He said quietly, before his shoulders sagged a little and he gazed at her, his eyes darkened with unadultered sadness and vulnerability. He was quiet for a moment more before he finally could find his voice again. " I loved you, Sakura-chan. " Naruto confessed sadly, actually adding the familar '-chan' in his moment of weakness. Not a trace of anger was clear to Sakura when he looked at her. Instead, all she could see was a deep-rooted pain and disappointment in him so deep, it just made her want to cry even harder. " I cared about your happiness and how you felt about everything before anything else. I wanted to be with you someday, Sakura-chan and prove to you that_ just_ maybe Sasuke wasn't the one you were supposed to be with. " He continued on dejectedly. " You never noticed me, though. Even after Sasuke-teme left, you never really paid attention to me. It was still the same old thing. " _

_Sakura walked a bit closer toward him, putting her hand on his shoulder gently while tears still streamed down her pale face. " Naruto, stop. " She ordered forcefully, despite looking anything but forceful. " Don't say that ... I ... I-" Sakura bit her lip in distress, not even paying attention to her tears dripping fast from her eyes. " I might love you ... I _want _to! " She wailed, sobbing a bit in the process as she finally admitted it out loud. " I ... just, please ... give me more time. Maybe in a few years, I'll -" Sakura tried to say pleadingly._

_Immediately, Naruto jerked away from her. " I said save it, remember -dattebyo? " He insisted, former disgust now returning. " You're not even worth the effort of trying to win over anymore. " You _lied _to me, _the guy who loves you, _and treated me like some little kid. That's unforgivable, messing with someone's feelings like that, -dattebyo. " He turned his back on her, refusing to look at her anymore. " You can't just move on and get over some guy who never gave a shit about you. Not like I did. " Naruto retorted bitterly. " How pathetic a kunoichi does that make you, Sakura? "_

_Sakura's eyes widened at his cruel words, cutting into her deeper and deep every minute. " Naruto, I know alright? " She looked down to the floor, squeezing her eyes shut. ' I wish I was anywhere but here ... this, this is just too painful!' She thought in despair. " I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm so sorry for everything. " She apologized, unable to look at him._

_Naruto cast a sidelong glance at her, back still turned. " Sorry won't change all the crap you did to me since we were kids, Sakura. And don't lie to me anymore about loving me or that you _might. _" He told her disdainfully. " You're too obsessed with our rogue teammate. " He turned his head again. Sakura opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off immediately. " Remember what I said, Sakura? " He began, voice thinly veiled with anger. " I **hate **people who lie to themselves. " _

_Sakura's eyes widened like two saucers, the memory of Naruto's sharp, angry, hurt words at the Kage Summit hitting her immediately.' Naruto ...' She thought absently before her vision went black through her sobs, just able to catch a glimpse of the blonde's figure before he disappeared completely, along with the rest of the world_

* * *

~~~Sakura~~~

The pink-haired girl shot up upright in a flash. Dazed and disoriented, it took her a few minutes to even get a bearing on her surroundings. Blinking her eyes several times to try to find focus, the haze in her vision cleared. She soon realized she was in her bed or at least, makeshift bed. Relief briefly skirted her mind but it was soon overpowered by the cobwebs in her head that _was _her dream. _ No ... not a dream. A nightmare. _Sakura corrected herself, shuddering involuntarily. Every single second of that dream was torture to her. _Being home but then not actually being there. _She reflected sadly, closing her eyes shut as more of the nightmare came rushing back to her. _ My friends suffering ... what if that's them now? _Sakura thought guiltily. _'But the worst part of all ... Naruto hated me! He didn't even want me back to Konoha. _

Sakura didn't truly understand it but in some ways, that memory hurt most of all. It was selfish, she knew it but she couldn't help thinking how much she _didn't _want him to hate her. Sakura realized a while ago with a earth-shattering clarity how much she didn't deserve his friendship and what she really had coming to her was his anger. _ If Naruto hated me forever ... like I thought he would have if I killed Sasuke-kun, it wouldn't be heartless. If anything, it's just the karma I get for being such a bitch to him for so many years. Normal people wouldn't be able to forgive me this easily but since when was Naruto ever normal? _Sakura concluded, her expression one of tiredness. Kami, she _hated _how nice and sweet he was to her. She truly should've known Naruto would never have the heart to be that unsympathetic and cold to her, even if he did actually feel that way. Maybe it was just her inner remorse that manifested into, well, whatever _that _was but it still didn't take away her feelings of sorrow over it. It had felt so real.

Sighing heavily, Sakura slowly eased herself off the bed. She had felt like she hadn't even had any sleep, only serving to worsen her mood. _ Why me? I have enough problems as it is. Naruto, you baka. Can't you just stop making me feel bad at least until I get home? _The constant guilt only burdened her more. Her main attentions should be on the Uchiha files plan, _not _her blonde-haired best friend/teammate who wasn't even with her on this. She cursed her emotions and personal problems to Hell. This wasn't her. Being the student of Tsunade, she was rarely ever distracted.

For a brief second, she missed the days she had been happily ignorant of Naruto's emotional turmoil but, like always it never lasted more than a moment. _ No ... I'm glad Sai told me. It gives me a chance to possibly make it up to Naruto and not hurt him anymore. Too bad that already backfired. _She couldn't help herself from sighing as the memory of her "failfession" refreshed itself to her. Dream-Naruto was right in what he said to her about it but she was perfectly aware such insults would never escape her real Naruto's lips. If anything, that just made her feel worse, not better. _ I take advantage of his kindness all the time ... but it's like he doesn't even care the way he acts. '_Sakura thought helplessly. Immediately, the teen shook her head angrily. _ I need to stop this! Naruto's not here so I shouldn't be even thinking about him these much. I have duties to do first, after all. I can wallow in self-pity when I have the time to. _

Forcibly, she got up from her white-sheeted bed and walked up to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of milk in the process. Sitting down at her table, the pinkette's emerald eyes narrowed in concentration, mulling over her plans for today. _ Okay, so today is the day Third Hokage promised he would talk with his advisors with my 'plan'. I'm actually worried about that, though. _Sakura backtracked nervously, biting her lip a bit unconsciously. _'It does technically violate Clan policies. But what else can I do? It's not like I'm considering this for the excitement. _She couldn't help the knot in her stomach when thinking about borrowing Uchiha's files. The risks ... it all solely depended on the advisors. They weren't exactly very dependable when it came to matters of this nature so Sakura wasn't too keen on blind optimism. She truly never really was if she was honest, especially in impossible situations like this. _'So basically, I have luck or nothing. That's promising. _Sakura thought, frustration building. _What will I do if I they are against it? _She wondered doubtfully, not quite ready to answer that. She wasn't really a rule breaker but _still, _doing nothing was even worse for Sakura!

_I'll just find that answer when I need to. I don't really feel like worrying about that right now. _She decided finally. Her desperation lately really surprised the young medic-nin but then again, desperate situations called for desperate measures. While not exactly proud of it, the Kage Summit was one of those desperate situations and now, much to Sakura's annoyance, _this _was another one of those. She just hoped it didn't turn out nearly as bad as the first. _Well, at least I'm not alone. Kushina's gonna come with me no matter what I say. I doubt the advisors would be able to stop her, either. _Sakura thought, torn between gratitude and aggravation at her red-headed ally's constant stubbornness and nosiness.

Speaking of her sort of frenemy (Sakura still couldn't but her finger on _what _exactly her relationship with Kushina was. Friend or frenemy? She doubted Kushina herself knew), the kunoichi's delicate face scrunched up in a bewildered expression as she recalled her realization last night. _I still can't believe it ... Kushina Uzumaki, mother of Naruto! Never in a million years did I think something like this would happen. _Sakura had mixed emotions about this. Part of her didn't want to believe it, mainly because she had started off so badly with Kushina. If she had known eariler, she would had at least _tried _a bit harder to be nicer to her. She was her teammate's mother, after all. But, then again, she sensed the teenager had some form of grudging respect towards her afterwards which Sakura couldn't help being satisfied with.

However, a horrifying realization suddenly sprung up into wandering thoughts. _Wait a minute ... Naruto's an orphan. His parents died the day he was born. That means ... Kushina! Did she die? _Sakura leaned back in her chair, a thousand different emotions visible on her face all at the same time. _No, she didn't, did she? _She wanted to do nothing but deny it but the realist in her wouldn't let her. She _knew _Kushina was the mother of Naruto. It was as clear as day to her. Unfortunately, it confirmed to her that the vivacious red-head she now liked _would _die and at a young age too. _Oh no ... why? Naruto wasn't raised with parents which is sad enough on its own but ... Kushina has a good heart. She never deserves to die, even on her most annoying days! _That realization disturbed her so very much, it startled her.

Sakura put her head to her forehead, rubbing her temples to try to ease the burning questions she had coursing through her. _Who killed her? Was it childbirth? Or the Nine-tails attack? It did take place on Naruto's birthday, after all. _Sakura queried instantly, sadness and loss at Kushina's destined death swirling its way to her heart. _This is terrible ...! I have to stop it somehow. If not for Naruto's sake, at least for Kushina's. I don't want her to die! _Sakura thought fanatically before her mind closed in on her afterwards, clouding over in dismay and doubtfulness. _I can't, though! It's not my business to meddle and stop things in the past from happening. I'm not even supposed to be here. What right do I have to try and change the future? _She wondered logically, cursing her practical side for getting in the way now. _ Screw it! I have to try something. Even if it's small, just _something. _Naruto doesn't deserve a lonely childhood again anymore than Kushina deserves death. _Sakura argued internally, fighting her practical side.

She would never forgive herself for not at least attempting. Her heart was too compassionate to not to and she'd feel eternally guilty for being a factor in Naruto's terrible childhood. _I promised myself I'd do all I could to help Naruto and make it up to him ... maybe this is where I can start. _Sakura thought in determination, temporarily ignoring the little voice in her head that was discouraging it.

A knock sounded suddenly, echoing throughout the small apartment. Sakura was pulled out her thoughts immediately, turning her head to the door curiously. _I wonder who that is. It can't be Kushina._ _She's probably too freaked out to see me right now. Or thinks that I'm crazy._ Sakura couldn't resist thinking._ Can't say I blame her. I sometimes wonder that myself. _ She thought resignedly before rising up from her chair and putting the milk down (She didn't drink that much of it. Sakura blamed it on her nerves), the pinkette approached the door and opened it.

Minato stood in the doorway, much to Sakura's surprise. He looked friendly as usual. " Minato! " She exclaimed, eyes widened slightly in surprise. She really should've expected it but for some reason the idea of him visiting didn't even occur to her. Really proved wonders to Sakura on just _how much_ had been on her mind lately.

The blonde smiled a little in welcome. " Hey, Sakura. " He greeted back, seeming a bit amused at her wide-eyed look. " Can I come in? " He automatically asked politely.

Sakura blinked at him, realizing she was still standing in the doorway. " Oh, right. Of course. " She replied, slightly embarrassed that she hadn't let him in already. She moved aside and Minato walked, looking around the place curiously like he usually did. " Kushina didn't come with you? " She asked, trying to make her voice sound casual. _Kushina didn't tell him about last night, did she? _The medic-nin worried, hoping desperately that she didn't. She was already regretting it enough as it is by just telling _her_! Sakura was far from eager over the possibility of Minato knowing it too.

" No. Kushina's on a mission with her teammates. " He answered before frowning a bit. " I did see her this morning, though. She seemed ... distracted. " Minato admitted in concern. " I tried asking her but ... " He hesitated a little, before saying. " She seemed to get angry and told me to stay out of her business because she had a mission to do. " He sighed a little. " Safe to say something was going on and she didn't wanna tell me. " He deduced, knowing Kushina never was one to express her problems to others. Her reasons usually ranged from not wanting to burden people with her problems or that she was just too prideful to share it. He truly didn't know which one it was this time.

" That sounds like Kushina. " Sakura agreed sympathetically. However, she couldn't stop herself from feeling guiltily relieved. _Of course she wouldn't tell Minato. She probably wants to figure it out on her own first. _She reasoned logically, realizing her worrying had been for nothing. _But still, why's Minato here? _She wondered.

" Yes. " He agreed tiredly. Minato turned his to look at her, his bright blue eyes holding unquestionable curiosity. " Did you have another fight with her? Just curious. " He asked.

Out of reflex, Sakura immediately rolled her eyes at his question. " Please. If we were fighting, you'd be the first to know. And she'd probably throw a bunch of insults of me while she's at it. " She grumbled in annoyance, going back to the dining table she was at earlier.

He looked thoughtful for a minute, before nodding his head. " You're right on that. " He agreed, seeing the truth in that statement. The one thing Kushina was never good at hiding was her anger to people who upset her. Sakura was no different. Lately, however, he had seen a decline of harsh words about the medic-nin from the red-head. That realization appeased Minato. All he wanted was for them to get along and complete their self-appointed mission. This was a good sign to him.

As the blonde-haired Jonin followed after Sakura and sat down across from her, the pinkette gazed at him with puzzlement. " So you're only here to talk about Kushina? " She questioned, uncomfortable with the idea._ It's hard enough as it is working with Kushina after realizing she's Naruto's mom. _She decided firmly. Minato can know when he's ready to know. " If that's the case, I don't know anything. " Sakura said quickly before adding " Just let her tell you when she's ready to. " She assured, this time more gently and less fast.

Minato's expression looked slightly suspicious at Sakura's original tone of voice. _She knows something, after all. _The blonde realized, but did not impose any further. Reflecting on her later words, his expression melted into one of agreement. _Nevertheless, she still has a point. I'll just wait until Kushina decides to tell me what's going on. _Minato decided before smiling gratefully at her. " You're right, Sakura. Thanks for the advice. " He replied kindly, ignoring the fact that she was holding something back. " And, no. I'm not just here to talk about Kushina. " Minato corrected the medic-nin finally.

Sakura blinked curiously. " Oh, so what is it? " She asked.

" The Hokage had a meeting with me yesterday and told me about meeting with his advisors. " Minato began. " Normally, a young Jonin like me doesn't have to be told of matters such as this. Apparently, it had to do with you. " He said seriously, looking at the pinkette in a probing blue gaze. " Unfortunately, he didn't tell me much. Only that I should ask you. " Minato finished, frowning a little in disappointment. _I wonder what it is that's happened? _

Sakura felt unwarranted surprise at Minato's words. " You mean, Kushina didn't tell you? " She couldn't stop herself from asking. Immediately, she felt like smacking herself. _Of course she didn't! Kushina probably felt so overwhelmed by what I told her, telling Minato would be the last thing on her mind. She's too distracted now. _Sakura thought, cursing herself for uttering that sentence.

Minato's eyes widened momentarily before returning to a faintly disappointed expression. " Kushina didn't tell me much of anything this morning. " He answered sadly. " But you obviously know. So, what is it? " He asked, pushing away his slight disappointment. " It must be serious if it's worthy of a meeting. " The blonde added, looking at her expectantly.

She paused a little. _Third Hokage wanted me to explain it to him. _She thought, letting that realization sink in. _Damn. He deserves to know since he decided to help me just like Kushina. He actually wanted to do it _more _than her in the first place. _Sakura thought, remembering the red-head's earlier distaste of her when she first meet her. _But explaining it three times in a row ... every time I repeat it, it just sounds even more risky. _Sakura thought unhappily, before looking to Minato. " Right ... that. " She began lamely, slightly avoiding his gaze.

The Jonin was even more curious by her hesitance, becoming even more determined to know what Sakura came up with. " Right, that? " Minato repeated. " I need a little more than that. Come on, Sakura. Just tell me. " He pressed gently.

Sakura sighed. It truly couldn't be helped. Her reluctance to say it was pointless. Besides, Minato was one of the least judgemental people she knew. It's not like he'd make fun of her. Hell, even _Kushina _didn't insult her. Unless you count her calling Sakura crazy. Which, in all actuality, was very tame compared to the tomboy's more colorful insults. " Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. " The medic-nin apologized.

" Is it that serious? " Minato asked involuntarily.

" Yes. " Sakura confirmed. " Okay, um ... I thought up this plan to return back to my time. It's not completely clear-cut or anything like that. But, still it's a plan. Better than nothing. " _At least I hope so. _Sakura thought silently. " It's also not exactly very conventional, either. " She added immediately, trying to let him know wasn't like she didn't see how unorthodox it actually was.

" Unconventional plans are sometimes the best plans. The end result could really turn out to work." Minato countered cheerfully. He himself used the occassional _unconventional _method to reach his conclusions. However, he had also heard the doubt in the kunoichi's voice and he wanted Sakura's earlier confidence be restored.

Sakura picked up on what he was doing and smiled gratefully. " Of course. " She agreed before returning to her former somberness. " Anyway, the plan is ... to borrow the Uchiha Clan files and go through them. Maybe I'll find out how to return to my time and figure out more about the Clan's Sharingan. Or, at very least, a possible lead. " She stated outright, pushing down her wish to hedge it. If she dragged it out, she'd probably never say it.

To Sakura's great disbelief, Minato showed no sign of an extreme reaction. Not like Kushina, anyway. Instead, he lapsed into a silence, wearing a calculating yet doubtful expression all at once. " That breaks the rules of Clan privacy. " Minato pointed finally after three minutes of thoughtful thinking, tone matter-of-fact.

" Right. I understand that reason. " She agreed. " But what if it works? It's one step closer to going back home. " Sakura argued again. _I wonder what Minato thinks about it? If he's like everyone else, he's probably not very fond of it. _Sakura answered her question soon enough. Any _sane _person would be calling this idea reckless and entirely on faith. And it was deserved because that's what it really was. On normal circumstances, the medic-nin herself would severely doubt this course of action. She was already _was_ if she was completely honest with herself.

Minato sighed. " Exactly. It's hinging entirely on a _maybe. _Faith, if you will. " He told her reluctantly. " I guess what I'm saying is, what if it doesn't? You can't say for sure Sakura. And it does turn out to be disasterous, you'd be putting herself into unnecessary trouble. It could all backfire on you in a terrible, terrible way. " The blonde explained, looking reluctant. He didn't _want _to crush Sakura's hopes but also wanted her to fully acknowledge the risks she was taking.

Sakura huffed in frustration, hating his logic. " You were just saying unconventional methods could work sometimes. " She reminded him, an edge of annoyance in her voice.

Minato blinked at her. " I did. But that was before you told me what you were actually referring to. " He stated calmly. " And remember, I _did _say sometimes. " The blonde reminded her. " You do realize the Uchiha Clan will not agree to this willingly? They're all about pride and authority. It's the main traits of their Clan. " He claimed.

" I know that, too. " She insisted firmly. " You're right. I can't say for sure if it will work but you can't say that it won't either. " Sakura countered stubbornly. " Sometimes, you have to take a chance. "

Minato looked at her for a second, before sighing. " I can see I'm not gonna change your mind about it. " He said to her in resignation.

" No. " Sakura agreed determinedly. " Look, I'm not a reckless person. Desperate maybe ... but not reckless. " She attempted to reassure him. Sakura didn't want Minato to think negatively of her just because she was being a little daring.

" Right. Still, you have the advisors to think about. " Minato reminded her. " I don't see any of them agreeing to it easily, " The Jonin said honestly. He really felt for the medic-nin. He could see that Sakura was only considering this dangerous and rule-breaking option because she was so determined to go back home. When he put it that way, Minato couldn't help but put aside his reservations and pity her.

Sakura looked downcast and stared at the table in a vague motion of hopelessness. " Yeah. I'm still not exactly sure how that'll go. Third Hokage _is _in a council meeting with them today. We'll probably get a response from him tomorrow. " She said, not exactly sounding full of optimism.

Minato stared at her in sympathy. " Let's just keep hoping. " He told her, trying to make her feel better. Some part of him didn't truly support this plan. However, he knew how much faith Sakura had on this and had no desire to destroy all that.

" So, you're helping me now? " Sakura asked in surprise. Mere moments ago, he was quietly disapproving of it. Having the aide of the Yellow Flash was something she'd definitely accept without pause.

Minato nodded. " I am. I'm not one to go back on my promises once I've made them _or _to turn away from those who need help. " He replied pleasantly, looking very sincere in the way only Minato could.

The medic-nin couldn't help it but shock washed over her again. The future Hokage was just so genuine his words and facial expressions. Gratitude swamped her, a new level of respect and warmth for this man coming with it. _No wonder he becomes the Hokage. He's so down-to-earth. _Sakura realized briefly before answering back to him. " Thank you. "

The blonde-haired Jonin smiled at her. " So ... Kushina knows about this, does she? " He inquired. Minato already believed she did due to Sakura's first reaction to him but he couldn't help but ask anyway.

" Yeah, she does. I told her last night." Sakura stated. " She agreed to help me, too."

Minato sighed a little. " So she agreed to it. " He realized, assuming Kushina had no reservations about Sakura's plan at all.

She nodded. " Yeah. " Sakura closed her eyes in a tired gesture. " She might even more stubborn and determined about it than I am. " Finally noticing Minato's disappointed expression, she quickly added, " Kushina didn't agree to it right away. She was even more passionate about me not doing than you. Now though ... she's just excited over it. " Sakura admitted sympathetically, knowing Minato didn't like Kushina being too reckless.

He looked pleasantly surprised. " Well, that's good. I'm glad Kushina didn't approve of it without weighing all of the consequences first." Minato replied, satisfied with her words. _Maybe that's why she was distracted this morning. Though I don't understand why she didn't tell me. _He thought fleetingly before getting up from the chair.

Sakura looked at him curiously. " You're leaving, now? " She asked.

Minato looked apologetic. " Yes. I have a mission some time soon and I wanna be prepared for it. " He replied. " I'd stay longer. "

She rised up from the chair as well. " No, it's fine. Go if you have to. " She encouraged, voice friendly. Sakura didn't mind Minato had to leave and in fact, it just gave her more time to mull over more what she was going to do if the advisors refused her plan to go home.

He nodded to her. " We'll meet again tomorrow with Kushina when the Hokage's meeting is finalized and decided. " Minato smiled encouragingly.  
" Let's hope for the best, okay? "

Sakura smiled, appreciating his kind support. " Yeah. We'll see what happens. " The pinkette agreed. That was all she really _could _do at the moment. She just prayed it didn't end too badly.

* * *

~~~Third Hokage, Advisors~~~

Sarutobi sighed heavily, feeling almost overwhelmed with tiredness and stress. The past few hours had been the same. He had hesitantly brought up Sakura's and her plan to borrow the guarded files. Much to the Hokage's dismay, immediately his advisors had erupted in a full-scale argument. And on top of that, it still showed no sign of disapating. Even his wife, Biwako, showed disapproval.

" You know how tenuous our alliance is with the Uchiha Clan. Would we really want to risk it more, Sarutobi? " Biwako reasoned logically, her voice in a whisper. It was a sharp contrast compared to the arguments of Koharu, Homura, and Danzo; Sarutobi, at this point, was

Hiruzen looked at her tiredly. " I understand your point, Biwako. But Sakura doesn't belong here, as you very well know. " He said pointedly, causing Biwako to narrow her eyes as she remembered Hiruzen's story to her about the "Pink-haired Time-traveler. " " I made a promise to the girl and it wouldn't be fair of me to go against it. "

" So _this _is your main reasoning? That of an obligation to this medic-nin under your wing? " Biwako confirmed, still obviously against it. " Sarutobi, your weak ess can be your compassion. While in some situations that is a strength, in this one it is a flaw. " She continued. " You can't let your feelings for Sakura cloud your judgement as a Hokage! " She stated strongly.

Sarutobi was about to deny his wife's claims but before he could, he was cut off by Koharu. " Biwako is right. Despite our sympathies, it must be put aside for the sake of this village. Peace is hard in these times and violating the Uchiha's visual jutsu techniques could lead into provoked hostility, good intentions or not. " She agreed, staring at the Hokage with hard eyes.

The Hokage raised his hand to silence everyone. Grudgingly, they quieted down and sat to face their leader. " Your words are not wrong. It's true that none of us would like to disrupt the peace. " Hiruzen agreed. He leaned back in his chair and sighed a bit before continuing. " However, there is still no guarantee that it will end badly like you expect. " Sarutobi argued.

" You believe the Uchiha will go for this _willingly_? " Homura asked incredulously. " Sarutobi ... you know as well as any of us how secretive and proud the Uchiha Clan is. " He began firmly. " They would never agree to this, even if you _did _explain it wasn't for corrupt purposes and only to help a girl. " Homura continued logically.

" And a _time-travel _girl?! No one on Earth would believe such a story. We barely believe it ourselves. " Biwako added, her expression one of disbelief and contempt. _The story seems entirely ridiculous ... nevertheless, Hiruzen is still my husband. I know he would never believe this unless it was true. _She thought, looking at her husband with the same sharp brown gaze she was using on him earlier.

Koharu spoke up again, a fiery determination and defiance in her eyes. " None of us are in agreement on this. " She turned to a black-haired man on the right. He had been eerily silent the entire time everyone had kept arguing among themselves. In fact, he had yet to put his response on _any _of it. " Danzo? " She prompted briskly. " Who's side are you on in this? "

Sarutobi was already beginning to feel dismayed by the level of disapproval he was getting over Sakura's idea. Part of him agreed with every word they were saying but the larger part of him was guilty by this. _Sakura's idea it seems is just as frowned upon as I expected it would be. _He thought sadly. _And with Danzo's analysis over this, I severely doubt he'll agree with me. _Given the bad blood between him and Danzo since he was chosen as Hokage, it seemed that his former best friend would take every opportunity to overrule him and his philosophies.

The man was silent for a moment more. The silence almost seemed to pierce the entire room, as if his response meant everything. Suddenly, he finally said his words: " I agree with Sarutobi. " Danzo stated flatly, no emotion shown in his voice or face at all.

As expected, all the advisors were stunned into a speechless lapse. Even the Hokage and Biwako were in complete shock. Danzo displayed no reaction at this, mostly remaining impassive.

Homura managed to find his voice first. " Are you crazy, Danzo? What possibly good thing can come out of breaking Clan policies? Certainly not peace. " He scoffed, glaring at his old friend.

" The Uchiha Clan has always been a suspicious aspect of Konoha. Ever since the founding of out village and Hashirama Senju's reign of Hokage. " Danzo began. " Starting a war is not of our best interest. " He admitted.

" Which is exactly what _would _happen if we agreed to such a thing! " Biwako shouted angrily. The brunette had never been fond of Danzo since the beginnning, even during his friendship with Sarutobi. She could never truly explain it but something about the dark man always left her on edge. _That man should never be trusted. _She thought innerly, openly glaring at him with a renewed fervor.

The Hokage was quiet once he recovered from his shock. His gray eyes were narrowed in suspicion. _Danzo has an ulterior motive to his agreement ... it's not out of old friendship. _Hiruzen thought distrustfully. " What's your reasoning behind this, Danzo? Somehow I doubt it's out of compassion for Sakura. " He questioned bluntly.

The dark-haired man ignored the suspicious edge to Sarutobi's voice. " Because the Clan is so unpredictable, knowing the secrets of their techniques would help us into having an advantage should the Uchihas decide to rise up against us. " He finally explained. To him, he knew this was the in his village's best interest and he refused to have the Uchiha end up being the downfall of the village.

Biwako gaped at him, suppressed fury towards Danzo consuming her. _How dare he suggest such a thing?! Is he _that _ruled by ambition? The annoying fool! _She barely stopped herself from insulting the man, she was so furious. However, even Biwako knew when to use her tact. And it just so happened it wasn't her place to express such rudeness.

Koharu looked troubled and conflicted, her dark eyes clouding over with doubt. " I normally agree with you, Danzo. " She began hesitantly. " But in this case, I have to be against this. " Koharu said, this time her voice coming out more stronger. " We keep watch over the Uchiha Clan. All of us in here are aware of their problems. However, breaking policies just to have a believed advantage ... is just a more obvious sign of a rift between us. "

" Koharu is right. A motivation like that would only add more reasons for them to turn against us. " Homura supplied, finally finding the will to put in his thoughts. " Right now, Uchiha's chance of betraying us aren't large. Tense relations are something we do have with them but not outright hostility. So let's just be satisfied with how it is now and accept it. " Homura replied, voice even and strong.

Hiruzen felt no surprise at Danzo's words. In fact, it was something he should've expected from him. _Old friend ... I sometime fear the level of ambition you have inside you. _He thought, closing his eyes briefly. " Danzo ... I don't agree with your reasoning either. It has a larger chance of causing war than just helping the girl find her way home. " He said honestly. Sarutobi was again reminded of just _how _different he was compared to Danzo. The underhanded methods he knew the man was capable of ... it bothered him much more than he would ever admit.

Biwako was still struggling to end her glaring but composed herself enough to trust her voice. " So it's decided then. This plan of stealing Uchiha files for the time-traveler is overruled indefinitely. " She claimed matter-of-factly, earning nods of confirmation from Homura and Koharu. She turned her brown gaze to the Hokage, looking at him questionly.

Hiruzen stared at his wife for a moment before sweeping his eyes across the meeting room. Finally he sighed heavily, realizing completely that this was a situation he just wasn't going to win. " Fine. I'll just find another way to help Sakura go back home. " He said in resignation. _I'm sorry, Sakura. It looks like your plan was declined. I hope you'll understand. _He thought sadly, feeling like had failed the kind-hearted medic-nin.

Noticing her husband's familiar expression of guilt and failure, Biwako's brown eyes softened a little in affection and pity. She put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, causing Sarutobi to bring his eyes up to her sympathetic face. " I'm sorry for this, Sarutobi. I know how much you want to help her. " She acknowledged, sounding uncharacteristically gentle. " But remember, the village should _always _come first. It's one of the first lessons in being a Hokage. " His wife reminded him.

" Yes, I know. " He said. Truthfully, he still didn't feel happy. Hiruzen knew he would have to face Sakura tomorrow and it would be excruciatingly difficult to tell the pink-haired girl this news. He never wanted to crush Sakura's hopes but the odds were just against her lately. Sarutobi wished so very much he could do more for her but he also knew his duties as Hokage. As much as it killed him, there was unmistakable truth in their wisdom and as Biwako stated, the village should come first.

Seeing that their business here was finished, Koharu and Homura decided to leave, calling their goodbyes as they went. Soon enough, all that remained in the room was Sarutobi, Biwako, and oddly, Danzo. He had not left yet and stood on the edge of the room, silently observing the Hokage and his wife. Anger was quietly building inside him, mostly because of the disbelief he felt when Koharu and Homura had for once not sided with him. However, he took great care not to express the frustration he felt.

It didn't take very long for Biwako to notice that, among the other advisors, Danzo had not yet left. She narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance and the faintest hint of disgust. " Is there something you need to say, Danzo? " Biwako asked sharply.

Immediately, he turned his back to the door. " No. " Danzo answered gruffly. " Goodbye, Sarutobi. This proved to be an interesting meeting. " He replied to the Third Hokage, voice deceptively cordial.

" Yes. Goodbye, Danzo. " Hiruzen returned the greeting politely, trying to forget the earlier discomfort he had felt over the black-haired man's selfish suggestion over the files.

With his back completely turned, Danzo departed the meeting room. His mind was filled with resentment and anger still. _They are all fools ... even Koharu and Homura. The Uchiha cannot be trusted and will only be more of a problem in the future. They can't admit that to themselves._ Danzo thought contemptuously_ I will not abandon my plot to take those secret techniques from the Uchihas. Somehow ... I will get my hands on them. I will ..._

* * *

~~~Present: Konoha Nine~~~

Shikamaru stood in the clearing near one of the large tents. His expression was serious and faintly depressed. The Chunin was holding his a lighter, flicking it back and forth in an habitual gesture. _Lately it's been the same old thing ... supplies, preparation for war. It's all so troublesome sometimes. _He thought but it didn't take very much for him to get distracted again as he recalled why the rookies was meeting here in the first place. _All except one thing ... Sakura. __Man, it's a good thing Naruto's not here. _Shikamaru reflected, feeling some sadness pull at his heart-strings.

It was a good thing in some ways but terrible in others. Shikamaru was relieved Naruto was away training to the Turtle Island as he wanted to put off Sakura's disappearance from the blonde as long as possible. _If he knew ... well let's just say Naruto wouldn't be able to focus on anything else but her. That guy would search the entire world for her, probably not find her, then try again. I don't want him to be burdened by that kind of worry. _Shikamaru thought sincerely. Like most people, he knew how Naruto felt for Sakura. He cared about her a hell of a lot more than he really tried to let on. He didn't know if Naruto was in love with her but he honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was. Shikamaru knew without a single doubt in his mind that if the blonde knew she's been MIA for almost a month, it'd be another 'Sasuke leaving the village' all over again except this time ... worse. _Never thought anything would be worse on him than Sasuke leaving. _He thought, faintly surprised.

However, Shikamaru also knew that Naruto deserved to know even more than the rest of them. And he'd be furious with _all _of them that they didn't tell him Sakura was missing as soon as it happened. _Maybe he'd even blame us. I don't know. All of this is too troublesome for me to think over too much. Sorry, Naruto ... this is one of those things you'll have to stay in the dark about. _Shikamaru decided firmly. It was for Naruto's best interests, even though he'd probably not see it that way in the end.

" Shikamaru. " A male voice addressed him, sounding just as serious and depressed as Shikamara himself felt.

" Neji. " The Nara greeted back somberly. He was the first person to arrive at this meeting besides Shikamaru himself. Maybe he got her too early, maybe he didn't.

" Your reason for calling this meeting between all of our age group is about Sakura's disappearance, isn't it ? " He noted correctly, eying him searchingly.

" Yeah. It's about Sakura. " Shikamaru sighed before looking to sky, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. " Let's wait for the others to get here. " He said calmly.

Neji nodded. Hinata soon showed up mere moments after Shikamaru spoke, looking unsurprisingly melancholy and unhappy. " Shikamaru. Neji-kun ... you're here already. " She replied flatly.

The Nara looked at her before sighing again, this time much more loudly. " Yep. " He confirmed dejectedly. " We have some troublesome topics to talk about. "

* * *

**A/N: I really hope all of you enjoyed this chapter :). For once, there was a lack of Kushina in this chapter XD. But I did introduce her sensei and teammates (which I'll eventually describe more later in the story) so I hope that was okay but yes, Kushina is finally beginning to accept being Naruto's mom! Yay :D. And that dream I added in the beginning, it was me manifesting Sakura's guilt and worst fears into a terrible nightmare. I think I pulled off okay even if it does seem sorta random XD. And for my anti-NS readers, the OOC Naruto was your fanservice XD so I hope you liked that part! :) I also decided to cue Minato again because a) I love writing his character very much. He's one of my favorite characters and b) I focus so much on developing the SakuKushi relationship, I felt the MinaSaku one deserved a spotlight too. I also loved how different Minato's reaction was compared to Kushina XD. The contrast is just so entertaining :D! **

**And finally, the advisors. I'd like to answer these questions I'm sure you thought of immediately. The advisors are signifigantly younger 26 years in the past but I decided to make them still advisors 'cause they were promoted to it because of their exceptional wisdom. Please accept that :P. And also, I had to be realistic with the plan thing. They would never agree to it because they wouldn't want to provoke the Uchiha and, this was a perfect set up a larger conflict for Sakura. And Danzo ... how I hate him XD. Remember when I said he might be somewhat of a villain role? I decided to go through with it :D. I know the Konoha part was very short and some of you are probably upset by that but don't worry :). It will be continued right away next chapter. I just didn't want to make this too long XD.**

_**Next Chapter:**_The rookies have a heated and intense discussion about Sakura's disappearance, coming to a conclusion. Meanwhile, Sakura is forced to come to terms with her plan being rejected by the advisors. With no where else to turn ... she might even do something even more drastic. KushiSaku bonding and MinaKushi development too!

_Reviews are always welcome and I love you guys for the support! :D_


	12. Chapter 12: Slight Complications

**A/N: **I have a sad confession to make. Loyal readers, I'm quitting this story ... just kidding XD! (How many of your hearts stopped right there when I said that? :P). I'm probably not ever going to drop this story. I love the theme and the plot itself very much ;). The misadventures of Sakura Haruno and Kushina Uzumaki ftw! XD First of all, let my start these notes by with classical "I'm sorry" and a bit of explainage about my two-month long hiatus. In the beginning it was, for those of you that don't know already from my profile page, an English essay about a stupid, confusing book called "_Things Fall Apart"_by Chinua Achebe and then on top of that, a History PowerPoint about the Renaissance Era (That part took longer, mostly because I didn't know how to properly work it for a while. Don't ask why. Really don't, please.) And the other two weeks ... pure, unadulterated laziness xD. But I'm back to updating! I mean, _really _this time. ;)

Back to the story :). To recap, Kushina wants to talk to Sakura about the "little reveal" about Naruto but Minato remains oblivious to it. To be expected, given how Kushina's still working through it. But Sakura has other problems to think about too! She proposed her plan to the Hokage and it got completely _shot down_ by all of the advisors, even Biwako! Now she has to deal with that decision. What will she do now? What drastic decisions are left to her? And how are the rookies back at home? _Read on and see ..._

This chapter is my Christmas present to you all! :D

**Disclaimer: ****All rights of Naruto belong to the (arguable xD) genuis of Kishimoto. 'Cause honestly, if I was the mangaka (theoretically, of course), Sasuke temper tantrums would ****be _dramatically _****less, Neji would still be around and kicking some serious ass (I cried! T.T Why Kishi, why! Why not Hinata?! jk XD Hinata should live), and Sakura as the heroine would be shining and focused on a lot more right now.**

* * *

_ Slight Complications, Even More Complex Solutions_

~~~Konoha Nine Meeting~~~

The lazy Nara waited patiently as more and more of their age group arrived, one after the other. It had been at least some fifteen minutes since Neji and Hinata arrived. There hadn't been much talking. Just a piercing, thick silence that only served to make the waiting seem longer. _I don't know why I had to be the one to call this. It's too much trouble and besides, since when am I the guy for this job? _Shikamaru couldn't help but wonder, feeling slightly annoyed. It wasn't even worth questioning. Lately, he was _always _the one to call these types of things. Some would probably find it flattering. Not him. _What's there to be proud of? Being the bringer of bad news? Plus trying to get the others to_ accept_ the bad news. Man, it's such a pain. _

Choji and Ino rounded the corner, pulling Shikamaru out of his internal monologue. Choji looked at his best friend, for once not even bothering to question what the meeting was about. It didn't take much to figure out it was about Naruto's teammate. Anyone could see it. He was positive even Ino knew as well. Shikamaru acknowledged his teammates with a brief nod.

Ino immediately stepped closer to him, her ice-blue eyes steely with defiance and stubbornness. "I already know what this meeting is about, Shikamaru! I'm not dumb." She snapped abruptly. "And the answer is _no! _Don't even _try _and say differently, ya got that?! We're not giving up!" Ino stated firmly, glaring at him with a challenge in her eyes.

Choji looked slightly panicked, trying to hold her back from possibly lunging at his best friend. "Ino, calm down ... ! At least give Shikamaru a chance to explain." He pleaded a bit, trying to keep his voice as unchallenging and patient as possible. Choji knew perfectly well how sensitive she was over Sakura's disappearance. If anyone even mentioned she was dead or not going to be found, he was afraid she would _choke_ someone.

Shikamaru nearly sighed, already expecting Ino to react like this. _Right. Ino. I don't know how I'll be able to reason logically with her. I have a better chance of ... being demoted to Genin._ He thought tiredly. And what were the chances of that? Reflecting on his earlier thoughts before, Shikamaru's expression hardened. _But someone's gotta do it. I may not like it but who else would have the guts to do this but me? _He resolved, looking at Ino calmly. "Ino, everyone's not even _here _yet. You can yell at me all you want later. Just wait."

Ino's face lighted with outrage, Shikamaru having just confirmed her upsetting suspicions. She continued to look at him with hostility for a minute. Finally, Ino huffed and shrugged off Choji's slack grip on her arms. "Still not gonna change my mind." She persisted, before leaning against the wood planks next to Hinata, crossing her arms and looking irritated. Hinata glanced at her hopelessly before returning to her blank gaze, staring into space. Neji had watched the entire interaction with somberness.

Before Shikamaru could worry about when Ino would start getting impatient, he was relieved to see the arrivals of Kiba and Shino. "You're here before me." Shino noted. "This must be a very important matter for that to occur. " He stated matter-of-factly, seeming faintly curious.

"Got that right." Kiba supplied unhelpfully.

Instead of being annoyed, Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. Believe me, I don't wanna be." He said honestly, already thinking of his words to use for the meeting. _Gotta do this right. Don't want to upset anyone _too _much. _Shikamaru resolved, truthfully wanting to be _anywhere _but here.

"If you _didn't _want to, you shouldn't have done in the first place." Ino muttered angrily from her place next to Hinata, feeling more and more hostile with her teammate by the minute. Wisely, Shikamaru ignored her ire-dripping statement.

"SHIKAMARU! WE'RE HERE!" An exuberant voice shouted, sounding unfittingly cheerful for this unhappy setting. He lifted his head in surprise, not expecting the sudden shift in mood.

" Lee ... " Neji said, recognizing his (usually irritating) intensity and extreme overreaction. This time, all the Hyuga felt for Lee was pity. _He clearly expects good news. Most likely ... information on Sakura's wherabouts. He should know better than to expect that at this point._ Neji thought logically but he knew it was useless to expect that from his friend. Lee was always looking for the good in situations and if there was no good, idealistic faith. _Just like Naruto ... _He couldn't help thinking, which only created another wave of unwelcome sympathy even more sharply. _He is still oblivious to Sakura's MIA status ... is it wise of us to keep this from him? She's his teammate. _Neji frowned a bit, feeling most troubled.

Lee's bright green outfit shown starkly against to the environment. He quickly approached Shikamaru with excited movements, unlike Tenten, who followed him at a much more sluggish pace.

"Shikamaru! Tenten and I have arrived!" He claimed, holding his arm up in a hyper movement. Immediately he fixed his large eyes on the smart Nara, looking eager and searching. "Have you found out where Sakura-san is yet? Do we have some leads? We have to have some more leads by now. " He said in a rush, ignorant at the sad expressions almost everyone had.

"Lee ..." Tenten tried to convince her friend that _wasn't _why they were called together. Hell, she had tried to tell him that the entire way here. Unfortunately, she just couldn't find the heart. _Poor Lee ... _She thought sympathetically.

Shikamaru felt painfully bad at the misconception Lee had surmised. _He just had to make this harder ... _He concluded cynically. Not really wanting to voice it yet, he stared at Lee with a blank expression.

Seeing the lack of agreement from the strategist, Lee felt his spirits plummet dramatically. He finally noticed how _no one _seemed happy to be here, not even Tenten (which, looking back, he really should've noticed beforehand). His expression adopted a melancholy to it and he stared at the ground sadly. "Oh ... I thought this was supposed to be a _good_ meeting. " He grumbled unhappily.

A scathing scoff sounded from the right where Neji and Hinata were at. Lee turned to see Ino staring at him with contempt. "This is the place where we decided to _kill _Sasuke-kun for the village. And when Naruto said he'd take care of Sasuke-kun." She stated, sounding annoyed. Ino moved her hand in a dramatic motion, gesturing to their position. "Since _when _has anything good happened here?" She questioned rhetorically. " It might as well be called 'Bad News Place' or 'Tragic Hang-Out'. " Ino carried on bluntly, not really feeling in the sympathetic mood at that moment.

Suddenly, Hinata looked pained at the mention of Naruto. "Naruto-kun ..." She said sadly, feeling unbelievably dejected. _He has no idea about Sakura-san being gone for so long! That _can't _be fair to him, can it? She's his friend and I know how protective he is of her. Why did this have to happen, to Sakura-san _and _Naruto-kun._ Hinata thought, feeling so helpless. She hated feeling helpless.

Shikamaru gave Ino a pointed look, annoyed with her blunt speech. Ino returned his stare unflinchingly, still unbelievably angry with her friend. Quickly enough, he sweeped his black gaze over the clearing. "So everyone's here. We have to talk about something. I know none of you probably want to hear it but it's gotta be said. " He began seriously.

"Just get to the damn point already, Shikamaru." Kiba responded impatiently. " I'm here. We're _all_ here. Spit it out." Unbeknownst to the dog ninja, Ino sent him a brief death glare that would probably scare even the most fearless shinobi.

"Alright, _fine." _Shikamaru retorted, his tone slightly annoyed. Returning to his former seriousness, he continued. "I'll get straight to the point. All of you probably know this already but it's about Sakura. She's been missing for almost a month already. And we haven't found any new evidence that could be in helpful to our situation."

"Which is _exactly _the reason why we should keep trying." Ino said firmly, apparently forcing her voice to sound a bit more level and calm then it was mere moments before.

Hinata nodded in agreement. "Ino-san's right, Shikamaru-kun. Sakura-san's only been missing for a _few weeks. _It's still a bit early to be giving up completely, isn't it?" She reasoned quietly, feeling a bit nervous as everyone's eyes turned to her. Looking to the ground a little, she forced herself to continue. "And besides ... i-if _Naruto-kun _was here, he wouldn't be giving up on her. He's not like that. So we shouldn't either." Hinata finished, her voice sounding positive. Ino smiled at her, glad for the support.

_If_ Naruto_ was here, he'd rasengan me into next week before I'd even get the words out. _Shikamaru couldn't help thinking, not even feeling like he was exaggerating. _But he's not here, so that makes things a bit easier. _He couldn't tell whether he felt relieved about that particular variable or _guilty._

"YES! Ino and Hinata are exactly right!" Lee unsurprisingly agreed. "Sakura-san hasn't been gone that long! She's in trouble! She _needs _us." He said to Shikamaru, looking just as stubborn as Ino and (to Shikamaru's total shock) Hinata.

Tenten looked at Shikamaru questioningly, obviously confused. "I'm kinda with Ino, Lee, and Hinata on this one. You're not actually saying we should give up, are you?" She asked, puzzled.

"Look, I'm not trying to say that. It's just-" Shikamaru tried to explain.

"_Yes you are! _Stop trying to sugarcoat it!" Ino retorted fiercely. He couldn't fool her. She spent constant time with him the past three years, on missions and outside of them. At this point, Shikamaru was almost as predictable to her as Sakura.

"Ino ... remember when I said we should let him talk?" Choji reminded her meekly.

"_Shut up, _Choji. I _am _letting him talk." She shot back. Choji looked like doubtful and opened his mouth to say something but Ino glared at him furiously, consequently silencing him.

"As I was saying, you're missing the point here. " Shikamaru said bluntly. "We haven't found anything _at all _to show where she is. But that's only part of the problem. " He paused briefly, trying to properly express his concerns. "The village is low on ninja at the minute. And Lady Tsunade is always sending groups of ninjas searching to the path to the Sand village and _beyond _to find her. We actively have to split our attention between finding Sakura and preparing for the Fourth Great Ninja war. Frankly, it's a little too much and a _very _bad time for all of this." Shikamaru said, trying to rationalize everything logically.

"I _know _there's a war soon. And I _know _about all the patrols. I've been on almost all of them myself. We _all _know that." Ino told him, trying to push down her stress a little. "But _still! _It doesn't mean we should give up on a friend. Forehead wouldn't give up on any of us if we were gone! She'd be giving her all to bring us back. What does that say about us if we don't do the same? _Especially _this early in since she disappeared!" She argued, failing to hide her distress now that was earlier supressed by anger.

Shikamaru gazed at Ino levelly, his restrained seriousness a sharp contrast from the emotional struggle in her icy gaze. "It's not about the timing or even obligation anymore, Ino. Trust me, giving up on Sakura is the last thing I want. I don't have anything against her. Believe it or not, I _like _Sakura. She's proved more than once her smarts and kindness. She's a good person." He told her honestly. "But right now, that's not what's important. What _is _important is the village. And exhausting her ninja with the war going on in a week is a liability." Shikamaru closed his eyes for a minute, hating to have to say all this. "If were _any _other time, I would be in complete agreement. You know that, Ino."

The blonde looked at him in crushing defeat. Guilt and poignant pain shown in her gaze to such a strong degree it was hard to watch. "But if we stop sending search parties, then our chances of finding her are next to nothing!" She replied, slightly wailing. "And the war ...! Who knows how long that will be?! It could take _years! _By then, if Sakura doesn't show up, she could be ...!" Ino choked up a little, unable to finish her sentence. _She could be dead ... _She finished innerly, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed.

"Giving up on our friends is not the Leaf Shinobi way!" Lee argued, sounding angry.

"It is when the circumstances make it difficult to continue." The Nara countered logically. "We're _ninja. _Personal emotions and differences doesn't overrule what benefits the village. It's always the village and children that come first. " His gaze went over the rest of his audience. He saw the recognition on everyone's faces that he was in fact, right. Hinata looked particularly unhappy but made no further objections.

"But-" Lee still looked stubborn but now seemed much more wavering in his resolve.

"Give it a rest, Lee. Shikamaru is absolutely right." Neji reprimanded. He halted from leaning against the wood planks and looked at his best friend. "The Fourth Great Ninja War is just about to break. We're in a an all-out _seige_ against Madara." Neji reminded him. "Such things as searching for a lost friend that may not even be alive anymore is entirely trivial compared to defending the Jinchurikis and the peace of the five Great Nations. Sacrifices is necessary in the life of a shinobi. Feelings are meaningless." His somber expression softened slightly. " Deep down, you know that as well as I do."

"I know Neji ...! It's just ... it's Sakura-san." He said lamely, looking terribly depressed.

"What about Lady Tsunade? Is she aware of this?" Shino inquired finally, having spent most of this discussion absorbing everything that was said.

Shikamaru nodded. "I already discussed it with her before I set up this meeting. " He replied. "She agrees with me. Looking for Sakura can't go on much longer. We're short on time now."

Ino gasped in shock. "Are you _kidding? _This is _Forehead _we're talking about. How could she even think about giving up on her? She's her _mentor!" _She exclaimed, absolutely taken aback by this revelation.

"But she's still the Hokage. Like I said, there comes a time that thinking of the village takes precedence over your own feelings. Lady Tsunade knows that which is why the deadline to end the searches is right before the war starts." Shikamaru said matter-of-factly.

"But that's _not enough _time! We need more time to look for Sakura!" Ino argued immediately

"Time we don't have." Shikamaru said directly. "I'm sorry, Ino. I'm sorry to Sakura too. " He admitted, allowing some of his sadness to slip into his voice. "But there's no other way. We need all the ninjas we have for this war. It's too large-scale at this point. "

Ino gazed at her teammate, several colors of grief and unhappiness reflected in their icy depths. She, for once the entire discussion, argued no more.

"Wait a minute, what about Naruto?" Kiba asked the obvious question that was on the edge of everyone's minds. "So we have to give up on her. I understand that. " He said sadly. "But how are we gonna break it to him? It's bad enough he doesn't even know that she's gone. I mean, you do _know _how he feels about her, right? He'll be pretty damn pissed."

Abruptly, Hinata frowned at Kiba's blunt, matter-of-fact statement. _How Naruto-kun _feels _about her? He means as a sister or teammate, doesn't he? Naruto-kun doesn't actually have romantic feelings for her, does he? _She thought, worried. If he did like Sakura, how come she had never known?

Shikamaru sighed tiredly. He already expected this to come up eventually from the beginning. _How troublesome. _He thought, before finally answering Kiba. "Right, Naruto. He isn't going to find out anytime soon. 'Cause if he does, he'll try and return to Konoha right away. That's something we've been ordered to avoid. " He began. "The war's going to be going on and he isn't supposed to know about it, remember?" He continued, adding. "Besides, the guy wouldn't be thinking clearly. Going off half-cocked again, maybe do something stupid. You know how he is." Shikamaru said matter-of-factly. "The point is, he _doesn't _need to know."

"But it seems so wrong ... it's _Sakura. _I mean, wouldn't Naruto be furious with us?" Tenten added, looking concerned.

"Probably." Shikamaru shrugged easily. "He'd angry about being kept from the war too. But right now, I'm prepared to risk his anger. There are more important matters at stake here."

"But Naruto could find Sakura! Maybe he _should _know." Lee argued.

"Naruto would know just as much as we do. Which is _nothing." _Shino said from the background. "If he doesn't know any more than us, he wouldn't have progress in finding her. It's common logic." The Bug master replied simply.

"Shino's right. Naruto has no reason to know about any of this yet." The Nara agreed, feeling insanely guilty nonetheless. _Besides, the last thing he needs is bad news. Maybe it's for the best that he just keeps believing Sakura's completely safe in Konoha. He'll probably hate me for it later but it just seems like the better scenario. _

"So, I assume this meeting is over?" Neji asked.

"Yeah, it is." Shikamaru confirmed. " I'm sorry for depressing all of you guys with this but I figured it's about time we started thinking this over." He added, sounding genuinely sympathetic.

One by one, all of their age group departed. Ino seemed just about to cry her heart out, much to Shikamaru's guilt. Both he and Choji tried to offer comfort to their stricken friend. Hinata still looked miserable, while Lee looked just as bad. But no one was happy when they let the meeting place. No one. A depressing, somber quiet still hung off them all.

After everyone was sure to have left, a silver-haired masked shinobi appeared from behind a tree. He had hidden, listening to the logical reasoning of Shikamaru and Neji and the emotional distraughtness of Ino and Lee. Kakashi felt failure and sadness overwhelm him. He agreed completely with Shikamaru but it was hard for him to truly accept the possibility of giving up on Sakura. She was still his student. _Of all the times for Sakura to have gone missing ... with a war on the horizion there isn't much time for searching._ Kakashi raised his eye to the sky, not really what he was looking for in its empty depths. _I'm sorry Sakura, Naruto ... I failed both you. Just like I couldn't protect Rin and keep my promise. _He thought, feeling an unbelievable amount of self-loathing towards himself. Just like he did _that _day.

The Jonin continued to look at the sky before eventually deciding to leave after the others. With his hands in his pockets, he turned toward the direction of the village, footsteps slow and weared down with countless years of hardship and blame at the heart of it.

* * *

~~~Past: Sakura Haruno, Kushina Uzumaki~~~

The pale dawn light gleamed brightly into the unfurnished apartment from the window, enhancing the odd pink mess of short hair leaning over a table. Sakura was deeply invested in a rather thick book. But instead of the Uchiha fan symbol on its cover, it instead had a distinct swirl pattern on it. In all her desperation to refreshing her previously dulling knowledge on the Uchiha Clan, she hadn't found time at all to read the Uzumaki book. Sakura's philosophy _was "Work before Play", _after all.

Partly her reading it was a slight case of boredom (It was then Sakura realized _how much_ of her time had been monopolized be everyday missions, helping Tsunade, hanging out with Naruto, and helping out at the hospital. It really surprised her) but it was also a perfect solution to distracting her from worrying about borrowing the Uchiha files and how it would be accepted by the Konoha higher-ups. Plus, it wasn't like she didn't have Minato to discuss good conversation with or Kushina to argue with and get annoyed at. So what else was there to do?

Sakura wasn't upset by this though. The book proved to be _very _informative and griping, just as she expected it to be from the beginning. Her eyes read the next passage as she turned the page: '_The Uzumaki Clan has no true bloodline limit. However, it is common for frequently passing two common traits: one physical and the other in structure. The most common hair color for the Clan is often seen as red, varying from bright red to a dark, almost maroon colored red. The structural trait is their amazing hardiness, dexterity, and stamina. They can last for much longer periods than others and if raised as ninja, be harder to knock down for good. Reports show that because of that, female Uzumakis chance of surviving a particularly painful childbirth is a higher likelihood than one who wasn't a Uzumaki.' _

This information particularly stuck out to Sakura. _It all makes sense now ... that also explains why Kushina has such bright red hair. It's a Clan trait. Naruto doesn't have red hair though, he's blonde. Which, actually, is just as weird as having red hair. _She concluded, continuing her introspective moment. _He _does _have that amazing, unreal stamina though. No wonder he's always able to train so hard and fight so much. It's not _just _his determination, it's literally in his blood. I wonder if Naruto knows that? _She couldn't help thinking, feeling the urge to share that with him.

But there was one thing that was worrying her, something Sakura was still afraid to touch on. _It also said Uzumakis don't usually die from childbirth ... Kushina's a Uzumaki. So ... could it be that when she gave birth to Naruto, she didn't actually die from it? _She wondered, quickly feeling a familiar sense of horror when that led her to her next conclusion _But that means ...! She was _killed _then after giving birth! What hell kind of sick, cowardly, twisted bastard would do that to a new mother?! _Sakura clenched her teeth, disgust and fury building up in her to the person who possibly killed Kushina. It was absolutely despicable, oprhaning a child and murdering a weakened kunoichi!

Sakura still didn't know _how _exactly she was going to prevent it yet but she had made up her mind. Despite her better judgement, she _wanted _to save Kushina and give Naruto a better childhood. With this knowledge, she just _had _to! Sakura wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she didn't. It'd be too cruel to describe!

She glanced at the book again, biting her lip a bit in thought. _I hope that when I find a way back home, I'll find a way to bring this with me. I wanna keep it for referencing. Plus, I'm sure this be one of the few books Naruto would actually like. _Sakura thought hopefully, a slight smile curving her lips as she imagined Naruto's excited, bordering on childish reaction to her pulling it out suddenly. It was almost enough to make her laugh a bit.

A sharp peck sounded in the direction of her window suddenly, distracting her from the Uzumaki book. She turned to the direction of her window door, slightly surprised to see the brown bird perched out on her balcony. "A messenger bird?" Sakura queried out loud curiously, setting down the book and moving towards it.

After opening it, she stepped out and saw the note strapped to its leg. Delicately, she pulled it out of the strap and opened up it's contents. It read: _"Sakura, the advisors and I have knowledge of your plan and have reached a verdict over whether or it it's possible. Come meet me in person right away and I will share what they have to say to you. Sincerely, Third Hokage'. _She closed the door and retreated back into her apartment, the messenger bird already flying away back to the Hokage building.

Mixed emotions seized Sakura. Anxiety, nervousness, worry, and an out-of-place sense of hope swirled inside her. _So they had that meeting, after all. I wonder what they said? Kami, I hope it was good. _She thought, still somehow doubting it. "I gotta get dressed." Sakura said to herself. She quickly dressed back into her red vest and her other kunoichi clothing, making sure to straighten her red headband on top of her head so it didn't look too unappealing.

Ready to go, she was just about to leave when an unwelcome loud knock sounded at her door. _Why now? I have to go somewhere dammit!_ Feeling unbelievably annoyed that someone would and try and visit her at a time like this, she opened the door abruptly and glared at the offending person at her doorway. Coincidentally, it was none other than one of most irritating people she's ever known: Kushina Uzumaki, looking eager and unusually friendly.

Immediately, Sakura sighed in annoyance. "What the hell are you doing here, Kushina?! I don't have time for you!" She snapped gruffly, not really caring that she sounded rude.

To her surprise, the red-head seemed unphased by her show of blunt irritation. Instead, she still looked nice. "Well, you do now." Kushina claimed, shoving Sakura aside so she could get into the pink-haired girl's apartment. "We have to talk about some stuff."

Feeling even more bad-tempered, Sakura turned glared fierce death at Kushina. "Did I _say _I was going to let you in my apartment?" She grumbled angrily, not really having the patience to control herself due to this setback.

Kushina did flustered movements with her arms. " Who _cares_?!" She retorted impatiently. "It's not even really your apartment anyway." The red-head couldn't resist adding, causing the medic-nin's eye to twitch in supressed anger. "And like I said, I wanna talk to you, -dattebane! That's what's important right now."

"And _I _have to meet the Hokage. I'm sure that's a lot more important than whatever the hell _you _have to tell me." She stated bluntly, still feeling angry. _Naruto definitely got his lack of manners from her, that's for sure. And his impatience. _Sakura realized, not at all glad of it.

The young kunoichi's stubborn expression melted into a curious one. " The Hokage wants to see you? Why?" She asked inquiringly.

Sakura felt briefly surprised but it didn't take long for her surprise to revert to exasperation. "Baka!" She insulted out of habit, scowling at her. "Over getting the Uchiha information from the Clan, remember? They were gonna have a meeting about it. _How _could you forget that?"

Realization dawned on Kushina and she looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh yeah." She raised her hand to her neck in a nervous gesture. "Sorry about that,-dattebane."

Sakura stared at her in a vague expression of _'Why the hell do I know you?' _before immediately thinking, _And Naruto's denseness, too. Guess he must've gotten his stupidness from somewhere. _She noted, a bit shocked. Was there anything he _didn't _inherit from Kushina? "Look, just tell me what you want from me. And make it quick. I don't have time." The pinkette finally gave in, deciding there was no point in sending her away when she was already here. She may be mean sometimes but she wasn't _that _mean.

"Awesome!" She said excitedly before her short attention span fluttered over to the large book on the table. Kushina's pale face scrunched up in a frown as she noticed the swirl insignia on it. "Not that my Clan's boring are anything. It's actually really cool. But I still don't get why you _read _for _fun. _" The red-head complained, looking both confused and contemptuous.

_And the Naruto similarities keep piling on, one after another. _Sakura thought, feeling a little overwhelmed. It was starting to give her a headache. "You came here for a _reason, _Kushina. Not to criticize my book reading. Get to the point before I ignore and leave you right now." She threatened, positive that would get Kushina to tell her what the hell she wanted to say.

"Okay! Geez. You're too impatient, y'know that?" Kushina said, frowning at her in annoyance.

"You're the last person who should be saying that to me." Sakura retorted, a pointed edge in her tone.

"Okay, good point." She conceded grudgingly. The red-head looked at Sakura, her navy-blue eyes much more serious than before. The young medic-nin's unhappy expression shifted, suddenly feeling a lot more curious. As far as she could tell so far, Kushina wasn't very serious all the time. But she was now.

"See, remember when we last talked?" Kushina began. "You were acting all stupid and annoying so you _randomly _said that I was related to Naruto?" She recapped not-so-elegantly. "To be more specific, that I'm his mother in the future?" She added finally, feeling both worried and fascinated.

Realizing where she was going with this, Sakura immediately felt uncomfortable. _Oh no. I really don't wanna talk about this right now. I should've figured this is why she'd be here. Why me? _She allowed herself to sigh. " Oh, right. I remember now. I sort of forgot about saying that." She admitted, feeling suddenly tired.

"Hah! You _forgot, _-dattebane! Who's the baka now?" Kushina replied suddenly, looking childish triumphant in a blink of an eye.

Slightly surprised by her sudden change in mood, the pinkette grumbled "_Shut up. _I've been preoccupied with other stuff lately. " Sakura defended herself, feeling some of her previous annoyance return.

"Right, sure. But anyway, back to what I was saying." She continued, reverting back to an unusual air or seriousness. " It it _true? _Am I _really _your teammate's mother like you said?" Kushina pestered, feeling way too many chaotic emotions at the minute.

"I wasn't really thinking. Besides, I'm not sure. " She said weakly but really it was a lie. She was completely aware that Kushina was Naruto's mom. Sakura saw no reason to doubt it anymore, it was just too obvious. "I was probably completely wrong." She added, trying her utmost to get Kushina to believe her.

"You sounded pretty sure to me. So stop trying to sound like you weren't." The red-head countered stubbornly.

"Y'know, I really have to go. The Hokage needs to see me." Sakura hedged, trying to avoid this awkward discussion. She tried to move towards the door but Kushina stepped in front of her and put her hand out to stop her.

"_No_! Stoping trying to avoid the subject, Sakura -dattebane. _You _are telling me whether you _like it _or _not. _Right now. I'm not changing my mind no matter what." Kushina argued fiercely, staring at her with an angry resolve. "And if you _don't _tell me, I'll fight you so I can make you tell me." She stated bluntly, fully ready to carry that out if she had to.

Sakura returned her gaze, annoyed with Kushina. _Well, that's great. She's also just as stubborn as him too. That's gonna help me right now. _She thought sarcastically, cursing her situation to Hell. "Okay, fine! I'll tell you." She gave in, not really feeling the desire to argue with her about it anymore.

Pleased, Kushina moved her hand away. Her navy-blue eyes were sparkling with triumph. "Cool! I win." She said happily. "Now spill."

The medic-nin stared at the red-head, mystified. _How the hell can Kushina change from childish to serious so quickly? It's almost before you can even blink. She's so weird! _Sakura shook her head in confusion before finally appealing to the expectant Chunin. "About being Naruto's mom, it's not like it's really confirmed. It's more like an educated hypothesis, to be honest."

Kushina narrowed her eyes. "_Okay. _Keep going." She ordered, still irritated with the medic-nin's continued reluctance to give her a straight answer. _Just like I thought she would. It's so annoying. But at least she's not completely denying it anymore. It's progress, I guess. _She figured it was better than nothing.

Sakura felt frustrated but she once again recognized how pointless arguing with the red-head would be. If she was anything like Naruto, trying to talk her out of something would be like talking to wall. Except you'd get more from a wall. " As I was saying, the answer is _yes. _I think he's your son. "She finally admitted grudgingly. "I don't know for sure but the evidence is more or less obvious. I already told you why before so I don't really feel the need to say it again. " Sakura finished, eying her fellow Chunin warily.

Kushina said nothing right away, trying to absorb everything that she was just told. "So it's true then. I really do decide to have kids someday and Naruto is the result. Holy crap." She exclaimed, feeling dazed. Some part of felt unbelievably happy but the other part ... felt scared. She just really couldn't place it but she felt a weird feeling of dread.

Noticing her friend's expression, Sakura felt sympathy for Kushina. "You shouldn't be too upset over it." She reassured her. "Naruto's a really amazing person. He's definitely someone to be proud of, believe me."

The red-head looked at the medic-nin, suddenly feeling proud and grateful. "Well, what do you expect? If he's _my _son, I'm sure he kicks some serious ass. It's in his genes." Kushina replied, sounding a bit more cheerful.

"Well, he's not weak. I can say that for a fact." She agreed, smiling. "Funny 'cause he used to be such a loser once." Sakura remembered, recalling his early academy days when he failed _three _times. Naruto always loved to say that made him stronger, but she could easily tell how embarrassed he was of it when she brought it up.

"Don't call Naruto a loser, -dattebane!" The red-head shot back on instinct, feeling indignant. "He's awesome! Just like _me!_" Kushina said proudly.

"You don't even _know _him, Kushina." The medic-nin reminded her, amused nonetheless.

"_So_ -dattebane? I will at some point." She argued back. "And besides, if he's my son, how can he not be awesome? You always talk about how great is anyway so it's not like I'm wrong." Kushina continued defensively.

Sakura giggled a little in amusement. However, her happiness disapated as she fully picked up on the context of her friend's words. _But she _didn't _meet him. Kushina died before Naruto could even know her name. _She thought sadly, feeling strong grief and pity towards Naruto and Kushina overwhelm her. The realization that Naruto was robbed of a childhood and Kushina raising a child was just too much for her.

As if reading her thoughts and mood, the Chunin suddenly looked confused. "Hold on a minute. If I'm Naruto's mom, then how come you didn't know when you met me?" Kushina asked, perplexed. "I mean, Naruto has a thing for you, right? And he's your teammate. How come you didn't know?" She reiterated, a tinge of worry in her dark gaze.

Sakura's mind blanked out for a minute, completely taken off guard by Kushina's honest question. It was last thing she _ever _wanted to answer. And worst of all, she knew the tragic answer to that question. It's because she _didn't _know her at all until she came here in the past. Not even by name. Naruto was a oprhan so Kushina, and whoever she was with, had died long ago. But there was no way she could say that. That news would _crush _her and ruin the red-head's normally cheerful disposition. _One of the worst things to deal with is the knowledge that your son grew up without you. I can't imagine anything_ _worse. _Sakura thought, poignant pain and sympathy sharply assaulting her.

"Sakura ... what's with the silence, -dattebane? You _did _know before this right, -dattebane?" Kushina said in a rush, an edge of panic in her voice. "_Right? _Please tell me you did, -dattebane!" She added fiercely, unbelievable anxiety clenched her insides as she expected the worst. _Something didn't _happen _to me. It couldn't have. No way! _She denied, not liking these negative possibilities.

Immediately, Sakura spoke up. "No, of course not. I was just under a lot of stress with the time-travel jutsu stuff." She denied, trying to calm her. "I don't see you very often in my time with the training and missions. That's all. You're perfectly fine, I swear." She tried to reassure her, praying that for once someone would buy her lie. She knew she was a bad liar but it just had to work in this situation. It _had to._

Fortunately for her, Kushina bought it immediately. "Oh, _good. _For a minute, I thought I had died or something." She claimed, sounding amused that she had even believed it for second. "Thank Kami that wasn't the case!" The red-head exclaimed, achingly relieved.

"Yeah." The pinkette forced herself to agree, trying to hide her distress. "Anyway, I have to meet the Hokage now. The meeting, remember?" Sakura said, changing the subject immediately. "I can't talk much longer."

Kushina looked curious. "Oh yeah. I'll come with you. " She added. "I'm dying to see their reactions. I bet you anything they shot it down." The Chunin stated bluntly.

Sakura sighed. "Thanks for the support, Kushina. I always have _you _for that." She claimed sardonically, half-annoyed with the red-head but somehow agreeing with her at the same time.

"Just saying it like it is. What's so bad about that?" She asked, completely oblivious to how her tactlessness could make any situation worse than it already was.

"Let's leave now. Third Hokage is waiting. I wasted enough time as it is." Sakura said impatiently before going towards the doorway. "Hopefully, things will turn out okay, no matter what they say."

* * *

~~~Sakura Haruno, Kushina Uzumaki (cont.)~~~

"Okay, now Kushina." Sakura began seriously. "If the Hokage calls us in, remember to actually _let _him talk to us. And if the plan _was _rejected, please don't get to angry over it, okay? I know you really wanna do it. " She reprimanded automatically. _She's the one so excited about it to begin with. I'm only willing to do it because I have to. _Sakura thought. The medic-nin didn't necessarily _want _it to be shot down. It was the only thing she could think of. But if it was, she could understand.

The red-headed kunoichi waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Stop trying to _lecture _me all the time. You're not my mother. " Kushina grumbled, mildly annoyed. _How the hell can Naruto deal with her 24/7? _She couldn't help thinking, wondering if her future son as was bossed around by Sakura as _she _was. Given from what she knew of the medic-nin already and what she had said about Naruto, Kushina was thinking _yes. _

"Well, _someone _has to. " Sakura argued, unable to see what was wrong with correcting others. _It's better than _embarrassing _yourself. _She silently added. She didn't know _how _many times she had saved Sai from socially awkward situations, prevented Naruto from doing something stupid, motivated Tsunade to do her paperwork instead of drink, and scold Kakashi for reading such perverted books. It seemed perfectly acceptable to her.

"You're right." Kushina agreed easily, causing Sakura's emerald eyes to narrow in suspicion. "_Moms." _She added haughtily, smirking at her in smugness. _Like I'd ever agree with her _that _easily. _The red-head thought indignantly.

Sakura glared at her for a second but eventually chose to ignore her. They were almost near the Hokage tower anyway. _Which means ... we're so close to figuring it out. Either way, I need to decide my game plan from here on out. _This _is it. _She noted, expression resolute with determination.

A few more yards were left to them to reach their destination, when Sakura and Kushina suddenly heard a loud crash coming from the direction of the market they had just passed. Immediately, the two kunoichis with odd hair colors turned at once, curious at the sudden noise.

A large white-haired man had been thrown like a rag doll into a wall, creating a ridiculously massive crater in it, sporting an equally as impressive bruise on his face. Oddly though, he was smiling through his injuries. "Come _on! _You don't need to play hard to get for me, y'know!" Jiraiya said jovially.

"_Master Jiraiya_!" Sakura exclaimed, recognizing the perverted sage on the spot. Her eyes moved from Jiraiya's blue face bruise to the thing that was particularly familiar to her. "That large dent in that wall ... That means ...!" She didn't complete the sentence, hope and giddiness flooding her chest as she recognized the handiwork.

Kushina smirked, dark blue eyes shining with wicked mirth. "I _love _this part. " She claimed, just as aware as Sakura was of the person who had done this to him.

A beautiful blond woman stepped in front of Jiraiya, uncaring of the several people who were watching her with startled gazes. Her amber eyes gleamed dangerously, almost searing a hole through the crumpled man at her feet. "Bastard! You _arrogant, annoying _little _lecher!" _She insulted angrily. "_Why _can't you leave me the hell alone?!"

The young medical ninja watching this display could do nothing but watch, frozen in shock. "Lady Tsunade!" She was able to say, hardly able to believe she had ran into the younger version of her future teacher. _I can't believe this! Lady Tsunade is _right here. _She didn't leave the village yet. I can actually talk to her again. _She realized, numb happiness griping her.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was still smiling up at his teammate. "It's just a date, Tsunade! Is is really necessary for this violence?" He asked, before adding cheekily. "You _know _that _deep down, _you _love me!"_

Tsunade gave him a thunderous scowl, her patience having disappeared long ago. She picked him up by his collar, earning her some startled protests from her friend. "_Hell _will freeze over before _that _happens." The blonde said bluntly before throwing him to the ground again, away from the crater she had left in the wall. Finally noticing the scared glances people were giving her, she pointed to the crater. "Someone fix this! It's an eyesore!" Tsunade shouted, still sounding angry.

Not attempting to see if anyone was going to carry out her order, she walked away. Jiraiya watched her go, not helping himself from saying, "She'll come around." He said to himself, sounding optimistic.

Ignoring the injured Jiraiya, Sakura couldn't stop herself. She immediately went to talk to her future master. "Lady Tsunade! Wait!" She called impulsively. She just wanted to talk to her _so _bad. Her master had always been a reassuring presence to Sakura. Kushina made a startled noise of surprise before quickly following suit, muttering something that sounded like '_What the hell is Pinky's problem?!'_ which she for once, decided to ignore.

The expert medical ninja turned her head, looking angry. Once realizing it wasn't Jiraiya that was calling her name, she expression softened somewhat into mild impatience. "What do you want?" She asked, her tone clipped.

"Hey, Tsunade-sensei!" Kushina greeted her first, sounding happy. "Gotta say, that was some _good _work you did on perverted Jiraiya-sensei." She told her, sounding impressed. "I'm sure he had that coming to him big time. "

"Hah! He will as long as I'm breathing." Tsunade responded, sounding sure of it.

The red-head looked excited and looked to Sakura. "I frickin _love _this woman, -dattebane!" Kushina chattered to her happily.

Snapping out of her shocked daze again at the sound of Kushina's voice, Sakura refocused and regained her voice. "It's so _great _to see you!" She began impulsively. Tsunade frowned at her in confusion, reminding her of the implications her words had hinted at. "I mean, I hear so much about you. " She corrected herself. "You're the best medical ninja out there! It's amazing. "She couldn't help but say, trying to push down her joy a little. "I'm one too. I hope I'm as great as you are someday." Sakura stated honestly.

Her future teacher seemed to lose her edge of impatience, seeming flattered by her admiration of her. "Being a medic-nin and training for it is no simple task." Tsunade began. "If you train hard and have expert chakra control, I'm sure you will be someone successful." She told her politely, before returning to her former confusion. "I don't think I know you. You're ... ?" She pressed.

Kushina finally chose this moment to answer for her. "She's Sakura. A friend of mine." She told her, now feeling a bit confused herself. _So ... I'm guessing Sakura does know Tsunade-sensei from the future. _Kushina realized, before another thought struck her. _Minato mentioned to me a few times he thinks Sakura is Tsunade-sensei's student. Looking at her reaction, I'm guessing he's right. _But then again, since when was Minato wrong?

"Sakura." Tsunade repeated, returning her gaze to the pink-haired girl. "It's nice to meet you, Sakura." She said to her kindly. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go somewhere. Hopefully, I'll see you again."

"Yeah. You too!" She replied back. _Don't worry, you will someday. _Sakura added silently as the elegant blond figure walked the other direction.

Her companion looked at Sakura questioningly, crossing her arms. "You _know _her, don't you? From the future?" Kushina asked curiously.

They both started walking in the direction of the Hokage building. She cast a sidelong glance at the red-head, wondering if she should tell her. _I guess it's okay. It's not like it can alter anything. _Sakura decided. "I do, actually. Lady Tsunade ... she's my teacher in my time. She taught me how to b_e _a medical ninja. " She confessed.

Kushina's eyes widened. "So Minato _was _right! You're so good at healing because of Tsunade-sensei!"

Sakura frowned a second. "Minato already figured it out?" She said rhetorically, surprised in spite of herself. _I should've expected that. He's famous for being one of the most intellectual minds in Konoha History. _She thought, mentally scolding herself for not realizing it earlier.

As they reached the opening of the Hokage building, Kushina suddenly said, "Speaking of which, shouldn't Minato come with us? He's just as involved with this as we are." She knew Minato would want to come and it seemed unfair to exclude him.

"We don't have time for that!" She snapped impatiently. "We're already here and I don't want to waste _more _time to get him. We'll tell Minato afterwards. " Sakura decided firmly.

"Well, alright then." Kushina shrugged. She was going to meet with Minato anyway later so it wasn't like she angry. And Sakura was right. It would take too long to get him and seemed pointless by now.

Together, they stepped inside and made their way quietly to the Third Hokage, anticipation building between them with each passing minute. Hoping for the best, fearing the worst.

* * *

~~~Sakura Haruno, Kushina Uzumaki, Third Hokage~~~

"Good. You're here." Third Hokage pointed out, not looking up from writing his paperwork. Truthfully, part of it _was _because he needed to get it done but the other part of him didn't feel like looking at Sakura's hopeful expression. Guilt still plagued him over her solution to coming home being vetoed but he was outnumbered. It wasn't his say in that situation.

"I'm sorry. Some things came up. I had trouble getting here as fast as I wanted." Sakura immediately apologized, giving a pointed look at Kushina as she recalled their early discussion. Kushina raised her chin in a challenge, silently saying 'Y_ou were one who wanted to talk to Tsunade-sensei at the _last _minute. It's not my fault.' _

"It's quite alright. I've been working on my paperwork as well." Hiruzen said easily, not at all angry that the pinkette hadn't gotten here right away. Some part of him was actually relieved.

Getting tired of the pleasantries, the red-headed kunoichi crossed her arms. "So, let's get the point. You had a meeting with the advisors, right? So Sakura's plan either got approved or ignored. Tell us, -dattebane. That's why we're here. " Kushina pressed, not really one for patience.

"Not to be rude Hokage but I agree with Kushina." Sakura told him, much more politely of course. "It's possibly my first step to getting back to Konoha. I really wanna know what it is they had to say." She could feel her earlier feelings of hope and fear mingle throughout her even as she said it. _Oh, I hope it's something good!_

Third Hokage sighed. "Yes, of course. I brought it up to my advisors yesterday as I told you I would. " He began. " To be frank, none of them took it very well."

Her hopefulness fell a little, beginning to see her chances of getting an approving answer were dramatically lessened. "It's what I expected from the start." Sakura admitted. "But did they warm up to it at all?" She couldn't stop herself from asking, still trying to believe it worked out well.

He raised his gray eyes to her, pity shining in them. "Most of them didn't agree with it." He finally said, before adding "Their reasons were logical ones, Sakura. We can't risk antagonizing the Uchiha. Peace is something we try to uphold with them, no matter how difficult the effort has proven to be for us. " Hiruzen claimed sadly.

"I told you they wouldn't agree to it." Kushina reminded her. "This is the _Uchiha _here. They're power-obsessed, paranoid, and touchy as hell." She stated matter-of-factly. "Why risk a war over looking at their secret techniques when we can just ignore them and leave them be?" Kushina reasoned logically.

The Third Hokage closed his eyes, feeling somewhat perturbed at the red-headed kunoichi's obvious lack of tact. " As Kushina _roughly _described it, it still rings true. The situation can't call for this. I'm sorry." Hiruzen told Sakura firmly.

Sakura felt all her hopes crash to the ground, stomped on and buried right in front of her at that very instant. She knew. She knew it all along, if she was completely honest. A plan that she considered crazy and reckless (A plan that _Kushina _considered crazy and reckless) would have the slightest chance of being approved. The chance wasn't really there to begin with. _But what else is there to do? What other choice do I have? _She thought in a frenzy, feeling the faintest beginnings of loss she had never felt before.

Kushina shifted her attention to Sakura, noticing the sudden lapse of silence. The pink-haired girl's expression was one akin hopelessness, as if her last chance to see her family and friends had been taken from her. And in a sense, it had. _Pinky looks terrible ... I think I actually feel bad for her. _She realized, sympathy towards the girl she had come to recognize as a friend swirling in her heart.

Noticing how the girl had still said nothing, she fixed her navy-blue gaze on the Hokage, a stubbornness gleaming in them that only Kushina Uzumaki could put their. "Hokage, listen up!" She began in a demanding tone.

Hiruzen looked surprised at the determination in her eyes. "What is it, Kushina?"

She marched up closer to his desk, gesturing towards Sakura behind her with her arm. "We _can't _just leave her hanging! Sakura left everyone behind that she knows, -dattebane! Her parents, her friends! All because of some asshole who likes to play mind games, -dattebane!" Kushina ranted angrily. "Now she's stuck in place that isn't home at all. And y'know what? She's dealing with it _great!_ How many people would be wallowing in their own misery, giving up, and crying their damn eyes out, -dattebane? She's being _strong._"

The medic-nin in question felt numb, completely and utterly stunned. Sakura had never expected Kushina to defend her this fiercely for _anything. _It was entirely unreal and amazing. "Kushina ..." She said, shocked.

Having already started her rant, the red-head paid no heed to Sakura. "And that type of strength _deserves _to be recognized, -dattebane! I respect her enough to help her because I can _see _how determined she is to see her family. She just doesn't give up. _That's _why she needs us, -dattebane! Sakura's lost and confused but she keeps trying! We _can't _abandon her, -dattebane. I _won't._" Kushina finished strongly, daring him to deny her words.

Hiruzen looked just as stunned at the passion in the kunoichi's voice as Sakura felt. "Of course not! I have no intention of leaving Sakura to fend for herself." The Hokage agreed immediately. "We'll find a way. " Splitting is attention to an even more speechless Sakura, he said to her "We will, Sakura. Don't worry. I'll continue to look into it today." He reassured her, smiling kindly.

The pink-haired still looked startled but managed to regroup herself enough to answer him. "Y-yes. Thank you. " Sakura responded sincerely, bowing at him a little in thanks.

"Good. That's settled." Kushina added, nodding her head in a satisfied way. She gestured to Sakura towards the door. "Let's go now. We already did what we had to here. " The red-head told her.

Sakura nodded. "Bye, Lord Hokage." She added on the way as the both exited out of his office.

As soon as they closed the door, Kushina sighed. "Glad that's over. " She said, suddenly feeling tired. "I'm going to see Minato pretty soon so I can't really stay." The kunoichi told her. Kushina had promised Minato she would see him later. _Besides, a lot of stuff happened today. I kinda wanna tell him about it. I'm sure he'd love to hear about it all. _She thought, happy she had something to look forward to. Hanging out with Minato always made her feel happy.

"Okay, but- Wait!" Sakura called, as her friend began to walk away. "Thanks a lot for what you said earlier. It really means a lot to me." She said sincerely, never having been more glad before that Kushina was with her all the way until now.

"Don't worry, -dattebane! We'll find a way to bring you back!" Kushina promised, her arm raised in its trademark 'fired-up' position. " We'll keep trying. I promise, -dattebane." As quickly as she said it, she ran in the opposite direction, "See ya! I have to go see Minato now, -dattebane!" The red-head called over her shoulder, disappearing eventually altogether.

* * *

~~~Sakura~~~

The streets in the market were clearing now, beginning to thin out more as the sun sinked to the horizon. Sakura was glad for it. The quiet gave her a lot more time to think and consider all the possibilities she had left to her. If _she _actually had any that wasn't at this point illegal. Frustrating though it was, who ever said this situation would be easy? Not her. No one should unless they were _insane _or just plain stupid. At least as far as she was concerned.

_Okay ... so what are my options? There has to be more than by Uchiha-related plan. _She thought, trying to put her well-known smarts to go use. After a few more minutes of intense introspective thinking, something finally hit her. It was so obvious, she didn't know why she hadn't thought of it in the first place. _Lady Tsunade! She met me today which by concept, didn't happen in her original memories. I wasn't even _alive _in this time period. Because of my interference today, she has the memories of this day. Which _includes _meeting me and knowing my name! _Sakura realized, a light going on in her head as she further planned. _Lady Tsunade could get this flash of me now, revealing that I'm not dead, and she could find a way to bring me back! _She finished innerly, beginning to regain some hope.

However, it didn't last. Her realistic side paid an unwelcome visit to her psyche, causing Sakura to doubt the stability of that plan. _Hold on, don't get ahead of yourself. This one is maybe even _less _fullproof than the Uchiha one. There's no guarantee Lady Tsunade would realize what happened to me or even _remember _meeting me today. She might just chalk up the image of me as some kind of manifestation of her stress ... who wouldn't? _The medic-nin couldn't help thinking skeptically.

Time-travel of any kind has frequently been described as "impossible" to the ninja world. What are the chances that Tsunade would actually _consider _it? _And even if she did, she still doesn't know who did this to me. So really, her chances of returning me is just as good as mine. Not mentioning the Fourth Great Ninja War. That makes it harder to focus on anything else. _Sakura reflected, feeling exisistently depressed by all of this. Nothing lately was a sure-fire way to her problem. The level of doubt she had in _all _of her "solutions" was bordering on ludicrous.

"Okay ... plans, plans." Sakura said to herself, racking her brain over and over to find _anything _worth putting to good use. She mostly kept drawing a blank and the other possible directions she could take were shot down just as quickly, either being too stupid or had a bad chance of working. More than halfway to her apartment, she was pulled out of her musings when a noise came from her left.

"You're Sakura. You fit Sarutobi's description perfectly." A gravely voice said to her in the dark. Sakura couldn't tell who it was, he was too shadowed. But it immediately sit her on edge.

"Who's there?" She asked icily, readying herself in case of an attack. Her emerald-green eyes narrowed in suspicion. _That voice ... I've heard it before. _Sakura recognized distrustfully. But whoever it was, she knew for a fact it wasn't someone who was her ally. That much she was certain of.

The man stepped out of the shadows. Once he stepped into view of the street lights, the pink-haired girl felt unpleasing recognition of the figure in front of her. The man who had been Hokage while Tsunade was in a coma, they man who ordered to have Sasuke killed but instead was killed by Sasuke himself. Sakura felt nothing but contempt and dislike towards this very same man in front of her now.

"Danzo." Sakura growled, a hint of restrained anger in her voice. _He's the last person I wanna see! _She thought contempteously, wondering what the hell he wanted to say to her.

The black-haired man showed the barest hint of surprise but it was gone too quickly for her to really make it out. " And you're Sakura Haruno. The girl from the future who Sarutobi took in out of sympathy. " He assessed, emotionless.

The medic-nin scowled at him, not caring if she was showing unwarranted (in _his _eyes) hostility towards him. "What's it to you? What are you up to?" Sakura inquired distrustfully.

"I was told of your situation. How you were plotting to sneak in and take the Uchiha Clan secrets so you can go back to where you belong." He informed her, causing the girl in front of him to look even more angry.

"And it's rejected. I'm _not _doing it. The Uchiha Clan doesn't need a reason to turn against us." She told him harshly. "Besides, even if I still wanted to, it's already decided. I can't do it." Sakura added, trying to figure out what Danzo's angle was in telling her this.

"By Sarutobi and the others, yes." He agreed. "But _I _can still help you. My group Root will enable you to complete your task. Your chances of returning to Konoha of your time period will dramatically increase. " Danzo bribed, effectively hiding is ulterior motive from the kunoichi. "All you have now is hopelessness."

Sakura felt shock at what Danzo was trying to say her. She couldn't _believe _he would against the Hokage and the others _this _easily. _So that's it! He's trying to win me over by giving me a free shot of taking the files so I can go home ... it would work, especially with the help of Root._ Sakura recognized guiltily. _But__ there's no way I'm gonna do that. Danzo's not doing this because he feels sorry for me ... he's doing it for himself. _She thought, angry that he would try and play on her weak point like this. _If there's anything I learned from Lady Tsunade, it's that Danzo should never be trusted. Not in the future ... not in the past. _She decided solidly. "What's in it for you?" Sakura said to him bluntly, glaring at him in the process.

"Nothing. I just want to help a kunoichi like you in trouble." He told her, trying his best to appeal to this strange girl.

"Stop _lying. _I don't trust you!" She replied angrily, her voice full of fury. "I'll do things on my own. You're the _last _person I'd trust to help me with something like this." Sakura stated matter-of-factly. "Now leave me alone!"

Before Danzo could say anything else to try to convince her any further, Sakura stomped away from him in disgust. _That sneaky jerk! He's such a bastard. It's amazing he lives as long as he did. _She thought angrily. So what if Danzo could possibly help her? He wasn't the source of help that counted. If anything, it'd only get her more deeply in matters she shouldn't have been in in the first place. _I'll figure it out on my own. There has to be a way to solve this that _doesn't _include Danzo. _She decided firmly. No matter what, she _wouldn't _go to him. She _wouldn't._

Danzo watched the pink-haired girl disappear towards her apartment, greatly annoyed with his lack of progress with the fiery kunoichi. _She clearly has met me before. _He realized. It was obvious by this Sakura's anger and disgust towards him. But she was the key to him finally one-upping the Uchiha Clan, whether she realized it or not. It was for the sake of the village and the village is what comes before anything else. _She'll come to me soon ... when she realizes how little options are left to her. With no one else to turn to you, she _will _see me again. Sooner than she thinks. _Danzo thought, completely positive of it. She was already left with nowhere else to turn. It was only a matter of time before she accepted it.

* * *

~~~Present: Yamato, Naruto Uzumaki~~~

"What?!" Yamato exclaimed, horrified by what he was just reading. Kakashi had sent him a note over the sea from a messenger bird, as he usually did lately to keep him updated. But this was the last thing he _ever _expected he would read. On the letter in front of him, it read in clear print: _Yamato, I probably should've told you this earlier. Maybe it was because it just hadn't sinked in yet. It's Sakura. She's been missing from Konoha for over three weeks while on mission to sent a message to Gaara. There is no evidence to what happened to her. There were signs of fighting but nothing that would help us find her. Lady Tsunade is starting to consider stop sending search parties because of how tight we are on time. The war is just about to start. Unless we don't find her soon, we'll have to give up on her. -Kakashi_

Yamato wasn't sure _what _he was feeling after he finished reading. _No evidence to where she is? That's not good. She could be dead by now. _He thought, sad at that realization. He liked Sakura. She was the last person who deserved to have anything bad happen to her. But it was the reality of being a ninja. _I understand Lady Tsunade's concerns, though. With a war looming, you can't really actively search for Sakura. What bad timing. _It couldn't be a worse time to go missing. The odds were impossibly low in finding her now. It was common sense.

"What is it?" Aoba inquired curiously. Yamato picked up the letter and handed it to him, depressingly somber. Aoba read it quickly enough and immediately his face fell. "Oh ... this isn't good. She's Lady Tsunade's student." He exclaimed seriously, having the tact to whisper.

"You know what's the best thing to do if you're bored, Naruto? TRAINING! Do over 500 push-ups in five minutes. See if you can beat my record!" Guy shouted energetically from the background, distracting Aoba and Yamato from the letter.

Naruto was looking at Guy excitedly, grinning at him in determination. "Hell yeah! That's nothing! I can do that in my sleep!" He boasted confidently, glad Guy was giving him something to do. Being on the ship at _all _hours of day was actually more exhausting to him than any sort of training. _We're so close ...! A few more days and I get to the SERIOUS training. _The blonde thought, impatience and eagerness prominent. "Let's do it, -dattebayo!"

Naruto was about to get in the push-up position with Guy (who was already there) when his bright blue gaze noticed Yamato and Aoba, staring at him with a seriousness and the most puzzling aspect ever to them: pity. _What's their problem? They weren't that upset a few moments ago. And why are they looking at me like that? _Naruto wondered, confused.

"What's wrong with you guys?" He asked, before he finally noticed the letter Yamato was grasping in his hands. "Is it _that _thing? What's it say?" Naruto pressed, innocently curious now.

Yamato and Aoba exchanged a glance, silently coming to agreement with each other. _Naruto _can't _know what happened to Sakura. He will with time ... but not now._ The Jonin decided, pushing down his guilt. _He's not allowed to leave the island. It's the Kage's_ his full attention to Naruto, he smiled forcibly. "Nothing you have to worry about." Yamato told him dismissively, adding "It's classified business."

Naruto's expression scrunched into a displeased frown. "_Classified?" _He reiterated incredulously. _I'm Konoha's hero! How is anything classified to me? _Naruto thought indignantly. "Ah, whatever!" He grumbled, disappointed.

"Come on, Naruto! You're getting behind. I'm already at 50!" Guy informed him happily, uncaring that he had started before Naruto.

"Hey! No fair! Cheater, -dattebyo! I didn't even _start _yet!" Naruto retorted to him angrily, finally returning his attention back to Guy as he quickly got himself into push-ups, doing it with intense fervor.

Yamato watched Naruto and Guy's training competition, feeling increasingly more guilty. Naruto was happy, not at all-knowing what had transpired to his teammate back at home. But he knew it had to be this way. Naruto would remain ignorant, to both the War _and _Sakura.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is just all over the place, isn't it? XD I had so many things I wanted to fit in this and this is what turned out. I hope none of you are disappointed. :) I personally loved the way I wrote Konoha Nine meeting. Shikamaru does stuff like this a lot, like he did when everyone decided to give up on Sasuke. This was sort of in the same vein, in the sense that they have to realize fighting for the war comes BEFORE rescuing Sakura. Neji and Shino are the more logical ones so of course they would agree. Neji's speech about "sacrifices" really depressed me after reading the last chapter. T.T And yes, I made Ino and Lee the ones who were against it the most for obvious reasons (Lee has a crush on her, Ino's her best friend). And as for Hinata's input, I thought it was in character. For some stupid reason, she didn't speak out against Sasuke getting eliminated last time AT ALL, not even for Naruto's sake (That always REALLY made me mad. If she knew him as well as some say, shouldn't she have said something?) So I'd be damned if I didn't have her speak up about Sakura. I'm also 99% sure in canon that Hinata has NO idea Naruto loves Sakura. It's the only way to explain her actions in the war. If any of you were wondering about that, that was why. :) Poor Kakashi (Who was surprised at his appearance? XD)! I couldn't resist having him feel like he failed his team. Sakura is the "Rin" of this generation after all and Naruto is the "Obito". It's be hard for him NOT to feel like failed them, just like he failed to keep his promise and protect Rin (Most of us know why T.T).**

**Sakura vs. Kushina confrontation! I love the humor in the beginning of it and how Sakura couldn't stop herself from comparing her to Naruto which was both annoying and confusing for her XD (Kushina was acting seriously more Naruto-like than usual in this one, wasn't she? :D). But it was sad a bit too :( because Kushina almost found out she would die before being able to raise Naruto. I felt it was the wrong time for her to find that out and get all depressed. Tsunade and Jiraiya XD XD. Anyone ELSE miss their interactions? I'm not sure if it was taken as comic relief to some of you or Tsunade being extra-bitchy to him :P but take it the way you want. :) Kushina is a Tsunade fangirl! XD Funny because she argues with Sakura so much :D. I enjoyed Sakura impulsively talking to Tsunade. That's DEFINITELY not gonna be ignored in the future, I can tell you. ;)**

**Possibly one of the hallmarks of this chapter IMO was Kushina and Sakura realizing the plan being shot down. I found it fitting that Sakura would lose most of her hope right there because it was LITERALLY the only thing she saw as workable. Kushina's emotional rant was my favorite part. It's easy to forget Kushina's nice side sometimes or how bad she feels for Sakura. Her default is always being so tough and bad-tempered. XD The kindred bond between SakuKushi is there despite the arguing, regardless. :) I should probably hate myself for making Sakura so doubtful of her plans ALL the time XD but since when is Sakura always hopeful like Naruto? And ... Danzo. He left a VERY tempting option to her ... but she doesn't trust him. Sakura's smarter than that. As she shouldn't. But he's POSITIVE he'll get her help with the Uchiha. Will she ever give in? Suspense XD XD. **

**Naruto's random, light-hearted appearance was something I wanted to write on a whim XD. He's my favorite character. But as with the light-heartedness, comes suspense and angst. Yamato's now aware of Sakura's disappearance via Kakashi (which I assure you, he wrote a few days before this. He was having these concerns himself BEFORE the Konoha meeting) but like everyone else, is explicitly NOT telling Naruto anything. Practical purposes, of course. It's amazing because that knowledge was literally RIGHT in front of Naruto. Will he ever find out? More suspense XD XD. **

**Long author's notes XD as is the chapter. I promise you Orochimaru will have a cameo, like Tsunade and Jiraiya did. MinaKushi _very_ soon as well! **

** On an unrelated note, THE WORLD DID NOT END. WE SURVIVED THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! (Did anyone actually believe that? xD) And Merry Christmas, everyone! ;)**

_**Reviews always make me so happy! A shout-out to my favoriters and followers as well! I thank you all! :D**_

**NEXT** **CHAPTER: **Kushina meets Minato as scheduled, informing him of what transpired, consequently discussing an uncomfortable topic with him she more than anything wanted to avoid. Meanwhile, Sakura grapples with her next move to go home, stubbornly more and more determined to succede without the questionable means of Danzo Shimura. But as more and more obstacles greet her, one after the other, she is backed up against a wall. Desperate, she may consider just about anything to return ...


	13. Chapter 13: Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: **Hello, all. ^.^ I've managed to _not _wait several weeks this time for updating. Definitely improving my track record already XD. See, I'm not completely unreliable (Though I still am a little xD)! My two-week holiday break is already over after the 7th of January unfortunately which means by the time of my next update, I'll be back in school :( (Terrible! I don't wanna go back XD). As all of you know, this means my updates will be back to the weekend. Saturday or Sunday, it depends on how late I start writing it. _Reminder: _If I have too much homework and don't update the every week, you know why. :P Just reiterating it for you guys!

But boy, was last week _depressing_. That release of Naruto 615 was brutal to the NaruSaku fans. Unbearable NH focus was unbearable XD. And not just that, I have many problems with the chapter in general. Naruto's character regressed, Sakura's character wasn't used to her full potential, Neji's death was cheapened. Hinata IMO was _overglorifed._I almost feel like I was reading a fanfic O.o. A bad, amateur fanfic. It was so sloppy, I'm almost considering Kishi to have been drunk on sake while doing it. XD. Hopefully, after the two-week break, it gets better. But this is my own, completely unrelated rant opinion. Just felt like expressing my disappointment. I'm not trying to offend any of my NH readers who think differently. :) A shout out to my NS readers: **Don't give up yet! NaruSaku still is very likely in my eyes! I've not given up on it being the end pairing. ;) **

Anyhow, let's go to something actually _related _to the plot. XD Enough of my meaningless dribble! Who really cares to hear it anyway?! :P Okay. Kushina's gonna see Minato now (I missed him! :D). What will happen between them? Kushina will finally face what she's been ignoring for a while ... Sakura though?! Her problems continue to grow every chapter, don't they? XD I'm way too evil ... maybe I'm channelling Kishi and his massive trolling tendencies. :P XD. She juggles too much in this chapter, things seem to get better, then get even more worse. As for MinaKushi, prepare for both some fluff and angst. Who doesn't love fluff and angst? XD

**Disclaimer:  **** I am only ever close to being Kishi in my dreams xD. If I was truly Kishi, you'd see that Naruto's one-track Sasuke obsession would be a _tiny _bit less (Still shamelessly ship SasuNaru though :D. It's just sometimes slightly creepy XD), this fanfic would happen in canon XD XD, and Hinata's fangirl comment about Naruto's "big, manly, warm hand" would be COMPLETELY omitted (Very stupid to say when your cousin JUST DIED), and let's face it: The whole of 615 would be rearranged. XD**

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_Calm Before the Storm_

~~~Kushina Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze~~~

Kushina Uzumaki walked calmly, taking the path to Minato's house. She wasn't _entirely _sure if she was going to find him there. Hopefully. Minato _did _specifically tell her to come at around late noon, if she recalled correctly. _Not that means anything. His missions are all the time and unpredictable. _Kushina couldn't help thinking. He _was_ one ofKonoha's top Jonin, not mentioning that he was part of Jiraiya's team. Those alone made him busy a lot. But who cared? It wasn't important. She'll find out when she got there.

Her mind mulled over everything that transpired. For lack of a better way to phrase it, it definitely wasn't boring. She had found out quite a few interesting things lately. _Sakura's the student of Tsunade-sensei. Can't wait to tell Minato that. _Kushina recited innerly before finally frowning a bit. _Is _that _why she's so annoyingly bad-tempered? _She wondered, her emotions split between surprise and irritation. _Gee Tsunade-sensei, thanks for making Sakura even more of a pain. _She couldn't helping thinking. Sakura's argumentative nature has often proven to be an inconvenience to her in _any _situation. If Tsunade was indeed to blame for that, well, let's just say Kushina _happy_ over itwould be putting it a little too far.

But the fleeting thought of Sakura quickly reminded Kushina of the other events that had taken place today. Kushina's face scrunched up slightly in confusion, remembering her heated defensive words on Sakura's behalf to the Hokage. Truthfully, she didn't know _what _came over her. _I just suddenly felt really bad for Pinky ... couldn't help I guess. Even _I _can be nice when I'm in the mood. _She thought. She had surprised herself with that one. Kushina guessed that she just didn't like seeing Sakura so lost. The situation itself wasn't very good for her, quite obviously. She knew that but that didn't mean she should give up either. Giving up wouldn't help, it never helped anything. _Just keep trying and you'll eventually get there ... that's my philosophy. No matter the odds, through effort, you can overcome it. Sakura needed to remember that. _She thought simply. For her, effort was everything. Of course, Kushina could admit she was more of a optimist than she usually let on.

As her haphazard thoughts continued to rotate over and over in her head, Kushina finally realized she was at Minato's house. It wasn't large very much at all. That never ceased to amaze her. Minato usually got paid well for missions, certainly enough for the finer things in life. Though for some reason, he wasn't much for extravagance. His tastes were much more simplistic and grounded. _Just look at the apartment he lives in ... small, sort of cramped. Not very detailed. Nice kitchen though. _She added absently.

Frankly, it wasn't a bad place to be if she was honest. Oddly, he had moved out of his parent's place early. Kushina never really understood that but apparently, he just felt the need to. He loved his parents unconditionally but he seemed to be happier on his own. That's all he told her so she felt no need to press. _I remember when I heard he moved out a few months ago, I was mad because I felt like he was trying to be more mature than me. _Kushina recalled, amusement at her initial reaction. She knew full well her slight pettiness at times, not that she always cared.

Finally ceasing her truly random thoughts, Kushina reached the doorway after taking a roundabout path to the mostly green door (apartment, after all). She was about to knock when a sudden flash startled her. A flash of yellow streaked over in her line of sight, causing her to back away from the door in a startled movement. "Huh?" She exclaimed in surprise.

Minato Namikaze had appeared on schedule, perched gracefully on the apartment railings, characteristically serious. However, it didn't take him long to notice the red-head at his door. His stoic expression softened into slightly surprised recognition. "Kushina!"

Kushina regained her composure, not particularly very surprised that it was him. The yellow flash had seen was enough of a hint from the get go. Nevertheless, she felt slightly displeased. "Minato, can you quit it with the constant appearing and disappearing acts? You don't _always _have to have flashy moves, y'know. " The kunoichi grumbled a little, annoyed that she, despite the constant times he has done this since he discovered his teleporting technique, had once again been caught off guard by it.

The blonde blinked at her, looking amused. "I'm sorry Kushina. But you know I don't use the Flying Thunder God Technique as much as you think." He couldn't help reminding her. "I haven't quite perfected it just _yet._"

Kushina crossed her arms a bit, still feeling disgruntled. "Well, it feels like it. You always abuse it so you can surprise me." She argued.

Minato smiled at her. "Whatever you say, Kushina." He replied agreeably. _Actually, I only abuse it when the mission was easy. This mission wasn't exactly difficult therefore I'm able to do this. _He contradicted logically but he didn't dare voice it. Minato had a strong distaste of arguing with Kushina so he very often avoided arguments or "proving her wrong" as she described. She loved to be right so he had no problem allowing her to feel that way.

As he expected, unaware of his thoughts, Kushina's expression melted back to average. "Good enough, I guess." She conceded, satisfied. "Well, you're here now. At least you don't make me wait like you do sometimes."

He frowned at her statement, slightly disconcerted as he finally got off the railings. "Since when do I make you wait, Kushina? I don't do that to you." Minato told her, tone faintly offended.

"I said _sometimes_, didn't I? " She reminded him. " But that's not important. " The red-head added flippantly, feeling the insatiable urge to get down to business. " A lot of stuff happened today with Pinky and the Hokage."

_Is she still calling Sakura Pinky? It's not something she likes to hear. _The Jonin thought briefly, not exactly liking that Kushina still called the medical ninja that. Minato knew completely how much Sakura detested being called the nickname and he felt she deserved a bit more respect. However, he realized long ago that the red-head had no mean-spirited intent in it. Finally picking up on the rest of her words, his emotions shifted to fascinated intrigue. "Really? It's about the meeting Third Hokage and the advisors had the other day, right? They reached a conclusion?" He asked her curiously.

"Yeah. Finally! It was-" Kushina began to babble, about to tell him what had transpired between her and Sakura earlier. Only for her best friend to immediately cut her off before she could say anything more.

"Hold on. Let's just discuss it inside, Kushina. " Minato interrupted. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled out his key and unlocked the door. Opening it he walked inside. His red-headed friend merely shrugged her slim shoulders and followed him into the apartment.

Once inside the threshold, Kushina roved her dark gaze over his place. "I still don't get how you can live in such a small place. Not that I hate, it's just surprising." She couldn't help saying, reiterating her earlier thoughts about Minato's living conditions before she had met up with him.

Minato didn't look at her directly, instead beginning to inconspicuously tidy up his place a little while answering her. "It lacks complexity. But I happen to like places like this. Simple but cozy." He answered earnestly.

The Chunin smiled warmly at her best friend, unable to stop herself from gazing at him affectionately. _Minato ... I love that about you. Even though you're so powerful and strong, you're still so honest, unselfish, and good-hearted. _Kushina thought fondly. He wasn't as arrogant as she sometimes claimed him to be, she knew that. In fact, Minato was easily one of the kindest, fair souls she had ever gotten the pleasure to meet.

Finally turning back to her, Minato quickly took notice of his favorite red-head's lingering gaze on him. Feeling most confused and puzzled, he questioned, "Kushina? Is something wrong?"

At the sound of his voice, the red-head forced herself to snap out of her affectionate reverie. Feeling a slight blush coming on (At least, she _hoped _it was slight!), Kushina immediately fell on her one of her defaults: defensiveness. " B-Baka! No way, -dattebane! Don't we have something more important to talk about, -dattebane?" She retorted somewhat angrily, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

Minato continued to look puzzled. _I love Kushina with all my heart but I can't say I always understand her odd reactions to things. _He thought cluelessly, still utterly mystified. He shook his head, saying "You get embarrassed so easily, Kushina."

"What?! I _do not, _-dattebane! Who said I was embarrassed, -dattebane?!" The red-head fired back fervently, angry that he had noticed so easily how she _was _in fact embarrassed. _I said Dattebane again, didn't I? That's always a dead ringer and I _hate _it. Why can't I just stop saying that? I mean, it can't be that hard. _Kushina thought stubbornly.

His confused expression softened into an affectionate one, mirth twinkling in his bright blue eyes. "No one but me." Minato teased despite knowing Kushina would only get more annoyed at this.

On cue, she glared at him exasperation. "You're such a baka, Minato. This isn't funny, -dattebane. I didn't come her to be _teased, _ya know!" She argued in irritation.

"Yes, yes. I'm a baka." He agreed good-naturedly. "But of course, you have a point. We _do _have more important things to discuss. That's why you came here, isn't it?" The blonde mentioned to her.

"Yeah! We do! I have some pretty damn important things to say!" Kushina agreed energetically. _Finally. No more 'Tease the crap out of Kushina' day. _She grumbled in her thoughts, relieved.

This playfulness beginning to dissipate, Minato fixed his gaze on his friend. His expression mingling between intense curiosity and patience. _I am curious to know what the advisors came up with. While I didn't have the heart to tell Sakura so bluntly, I'm very positive they didn't go through with it. Anything else and I'll be surprised. _He concluded silently. "So. For curiosity's sake, _what _did the Third Hokage and the advisors agree on? That's more important to know, right?"

"Right, that. Yeah. Um, I was with Sakura earlier today yesterday. We went to the Hokage's office when he told us about what happened between him and the advisors." Kushina began. "What happened was what I expected would happen from the beginning."

Minato nodded. "They turned it down, didn't they?" He guessed instinctually. It wasn't hard to figure out.

She nodded back, looking a bit sad and disappointed. "Any _sane _person would know they wouldn't allow it. Even Third Hokage probably knew." She looked away a little, adding absently. "Well, except Sakura. But you can't really blame her. Desperation really makes you do or think stupid things."

The Jonin sighed in agreement. "She wanted hope. Of course, in difficult situations like this, Sakura wouldn't wanna believe differently." Minato frowned. "But I _do _remember her repeatedly saying to me she knew how little her chances were from the start." He recalled.

"Well, _yeah. _I don't think she's stupid enough to believe it completely." Kushina scoffed bluntly. From the time she's spent with her the past few weeks, she could see Sakura was actually pretty realistic. Much like Minato actually which could at times slightly annoy her.

"Sakura doesn't strike me as stupid person, I don't think. Firstly, she reads books." He stated, remembering their few talks a while back about books and strategy. Sure, he didn't know her truly well. But he could at least see she was intelligent.

"Yeah. Her and her books ..." Kushina replied absently before her eyes widened as she catched on to what he said. Immediately, she felt offended and looked at Minato accusingly. "Hey! I don't read books, -dattebane! You're not calling me stupid, are you?"

"Of course not, Kushina." He protested. "You don't read because you don't like to, not because you're stupid." Minato added peacefully, his words honest. The red-head huffed a bit but her she was momentarily appeased. "So what else happened? Does Sakura have a back-up plan?"

The kunoichi hesitated, feeling a bit unsure and worried as she thought about what her pink-haired friend was going to do next. _What_ can _she do now? I really don't know. Poor Sakura ... _Kushina thought sympathetically. "I don't know. She put all of her hopes into the Uchiha one. I'm not sure or not if she has a back-up plan. Given her reaction before, I'm thinking not." She admitted reluctantly.

Minato shared similar feelings, his bright blue eyes oozing pity for Sakura. "I see. This truly _does _seem more impossible for her each passing day. It's unfortunate." He said sadly.

"Yeah." She agreed. None of this was easy for her. Feeling her earlier determination coming back to her, Kushina raised her fist. "But I'm still not gonna give up, -dattebane! Sakura-pinky _needs _help! I _promised _her and the Hokage I would so I am, -dattebane!" She told him, confidence echoing strongly as she said the words. "I'll be damned if I just sit around and do nothing."

Her blonde friend was surprised at the fierceness in Kushina's voice. _She's set on staying with Sakura on this, no matter the obstacles. Kushina's absolutely stubborn over this. Nothing will change her mind at this point. _Minato thought, not able to stop himself from being a bit shocked. He still remembered how not that long ago, she would be complaining about doing just about _anything _with Sakura. Yet here she was _encouraging _it without a waver. "Right. I agree, Kushina." He stated once he recovered from his shock. "I promised her myself I would assist her and I'm not one to go back on what I say."

"I don't either!" Kushina reiterated passionately. However, her wish to do this was more than Sakura. It was the largest part of her reasoning, no doubt. Kushina was the one who rescued her from near-death, she still felt responsibility. Sakura's very sympathetic situation not withstanding. _Not helping her is like giving up to me. And I _hate _giving up. I hate losing. _She thought stubbornly. It was probably the one thing she hated the most.

Minato smiled at the sight of her strong determination. It definitely one of the things he loved the most about her. Her stubbornness to do something once she set her mind to it was almost as strong as his. "Well, we have that sorted out. " He noted casually. Nonetheless, he was still worried about what they were able to do to aid Sakura in bringing her back to where she belonged. Minato truly wasn't sure how but he had to believe they might be able to figure out something with time.

"Yeah." The red-head crossed her arms. "A lot of other stuff happened today, too." Kushina paused, deep in thought as she gathered up her recollections of what she had done today. A light suddenly went on in her head as she realized the other thing she didn't tell him, something Minato would surely want to know. "Oh! Something else happened today." Kushina began.

The Jonin's eyes widened. "It looks like I missed many things today." Minato noted, surprised.

_That's an understatement. _Kushina thought cynically. But for once, she left the statement to herself. "Me and Sakura were on our way to the Hokage office. And guess what? We ran into Jiraiya-sensei again, bruised and beaten within an inch of his life as usual." She stated matter-of-factly.

At the mention of his sensei, Minato felt tired as he realized _exactly _what Kushina was trying to tell him. "_Again?" _He exclaimed, a very slight echo of annoyance in his voice. "If he was beaten that badly, I'm guessing it was Tsunade-sensei who was behind it, right? Because of his perverted antics, no doubt." He surmised expertly. While Jiraiya has on many occasions been slapped by women for his lecherous habits, _Tsunade _was the one who caused him the most damage and hit him the most frequently.

"_Of course _it was Tsunade-sensei." Kushina said. "It's _always _her." She closed her eyes, adding confidently "Besides, I'm sure he deserved it."

Minato sighed. "Probably." He agreed, a little disappointed in his sensei's immature displays. _It's never a comfort to me when _I, _the_ student,_ feel like the mature_ _one. _He thought resignedly. Minato himself was no lecher or pervert of the sort. Despite his years of training with Jiraiya, he gladly remained uninfluenced from his sensei's less admirable qualities. It was one of the things he was forever grateful for. _I still don't understand why he insists on pestering Tsunade-sensei so much. I realize Jiraiya-sensei has feelings for her but he doesn't show it correctly. He should respect her personal space, not push her by annoying her. That's what I'm doing with Kushina. _He thought, utterly mystified. _And he wonders why his luck with Tsunade-sensei is so bad._ The blonde Jonin couldn't help adding silently. Minato had a suspicion he would never truly understand his teacher's unorthodox methods for years yet.

"But who cares about Jiraiya-sensei, -dattebane!" Kushina claimed cheerfully, wanting to elaborate on what Minato had _completely _missed in her words before. "Didn't you hear what I said? _Sakura _and I met up with Tsunade-sensei. I, including _Sakura, _talked with Tsunade-sensei." The red-head told him, putting a distinct emphasis on Sakura's name. "Are you getting the picture yet?"

Finally picking up on what the girl he loved was trying to say, Minato's attention became more rapt. Intrigue and burning curiosity danced in his eyes. "I get your point. Sakura talked with her. Did you ... ?"

"Yup, -dattebane!" She replied, grinning. "Sakura _is _the future student of Tsunade-sensei. You were _right, _Minato." Kushina confirmed for him. "And it makes sense, too. That's why she's so gutsy. She's like _her." _

"I don't think her being so short-fused is what she inherited from Tsunade-sensei, Kushina." Minato said doubtfully. "She's much more patient than her. What I _do _think she learned from her was her skilled medical ninjutsu." He stated matter-of-factly. "And her monster strength, obviously." He added as an afterthought, still a little shocked by her unreal strength.

"Hah! Sakura _patient. _As if." The red-headed Chunin scoffed in amusement.

"I never said she wasn't impatient." Minato reminded her. "Just that she was more patient than her teacher."

"Well, she's not patient to me!" Kushina argued in annoyance. It was an understatement. Sakura had very little patience _at all _when it came to the red-head. They _fought _and argued more than they actually got along.

"Depends on the person she's with, I guess." He supplied calmly. Though he really believed Kushina's coarse and harsh exterior was the reason. _Not everyone Kushina meets can treat her kindly. I have no problem doing so but that's me. _Minato thought.

After a brief silence, Kushina started to travel a bit towards the door. She had told him all the things that happened like she promised she would so was there really any reason to stay? It was getting late after all. _Well, _almost _everything. _Kushina corrected herself, feeling uncomfortable with the one thing she did leave out. _That talk I had with Sakura about ... Naruto. My future son, somehow. Her teammate. The guy she refuses to admit she likes. The same guy who likes her. Yep. Probably the weirdest conversation I'll ever have. _She thought, dazed. Kushina was really starting to wonder if she was on the way to losing her sanity.

"Kushina? Are you leaving already?" Minato questioned, feeling a bit disappointed after noticing her subtle shift towards the door.

"Well, y'know I told you all the stuff. And it's sort of late so ... it's no big deal, right -dattebane?" The kunoichi told him awkwardly, stopping herself from growling under her breath when she realized _dattebane _slipped out in her nervousness.

Hearing her odd, conjointed speech and tone of voice, Minato felt worry begin to arise in him. "What's wrong? Did something happen, Kushina?" He asked her, feeling both confused and concerned. She wasn't like this a few minutes before. She was being her usual Kushina self.

Kushina, against her will, stood at a standstill with her back to the door. Too many turbulent emotions and thoughts were twisting inside her. Part of her desperately wanted to tell Minato what she had found out today over her future. She _truly _did! Ever since she fully allowed herself to _accept _the reality of being a future mother (Which she _still _didn't know what to think over. On the one hand, she was giddy and proud while on the other ... weirded out and unsure), Kushina wanted to express to Minato her confusing feelings over the matter. However, she was still reluctant to do so. _I can't ... Minato. He loves me. I don't wanna hurt him. _She thought guiltily. It's true she didn't know who was the father of Naruto but Kushina did not want to risk having Minato be wounded and doubt it was him. He didn't deserve that.

While the red-head continued to stare at him in her inner conflict, Minato's blue gaze hardened in stubborn determination. He walked up closer to her, causing Kushina to bounce out a little of her frozen animation. The Jonin hesitated slightly before putting his hand on her shoulders reassuringly. "Kushina." He began. "I can see that something is troubling you. You know that you can tell my _anything _that's on your mind. I'll be there for you all the way." Minato said seriously, his tone dripping in sincerity. _Always and forever. _He added silently.

She stared him a bit, still feeling confused on what she should do. Kushina never liked hiding things from Minato but _still _... she would never want to wound his feelings. _Minato ... I don't know! But he deserves to know. He really, really does! And besides, it's not like I _know _who I end up with someday. _She finally decided, her respect for him winning out. Kushina was still a bit afraid to pour all of this information on him but she would be too guilty not to.

She sighed a little and raised her face up to Minato. "I know, Minato. I know." Kushina agreed. "I'll tell you, alright?" She finally conceded, Minato gently taking his hands off her shoulders in response.

The red-head walked past Minato and ventured into the living room area, the blonde following silently after her. In no time, Kushina sat down on the couch, sighing dramatically in the process. _Okay. Here I go. This better not end badly. _The Chunin hoped, bracing herself for all the words she partly had _no _intention of saying but was going to anyway.

Minato observed her cautiously, crossing his arms and standing in front of her. He was trying to read what was on Kushina's mind and it sadly _wasn't_ easy for him. She seemed anxious and hesitant but he was having difficulty figuring out _why. __Kushina ... what happened? What do you know that you don't feel like sharing? _The Jonin wondered seriously. "Kushina ..." He prompted again expectantly.

She turned her head to him, trying to work out a proper way to say what she was about that _didn't _seem crazy, confusing, or stupid. _I'm definitely not good with words ... that's exactly why I'm so forward. _At that thought, finally deciding to hell with the proper wordage, Kushina began her revelation in the only way she knew how. "What do you think about me being a mom?" She asked bluntly, looking at him curiously.

Whatever Minato had considered, this certainly wasn't one of them. In fact, it was the last thing he expected would come out of her mouth. The blonde-haired Jonin was caught off guard by her question, wondering how on Earth Kushina suddenly had the desire to ask this. "What brought this up?" He couldn't help asking, surprised. "I don't think you ever once mentioned having children before." Minato added, confused.

"Just answer the question, Minato." Kushina insisted, a slight edge of impatience in her voice.

This only caused him to be even more lost than he was moments ago. Frowning a bit, he nonetheless complied to her random question. "Well," Minato began awkwardly. _I haven't really thought much about it at all. _He thought silently, still taken aback by this. However, he knew full well saying that would probably annoy Kushina and offend her in some manner; none of those he wanted. Thinking a bit more, he finally recovered from a little of his shock and managed a response. "I believe you'd be a wonderful mother. I know you're not a hundred percent _tolerant _but I think you'd make up for that with your loving heart and protectiveness." He told her sincerely, smiling slightly. _But they'll be disciplined for sure. Kushina's temper is wired in her. I can't see her children being spared from its backlash. _Minato added innerly.

Kushina's dark navy-blue eyes widened at his touching honesty. It was just like him to say something like this in the most sweetest way possible, it was no wonder she could never stay mad at him when he ruffled her up at times. Unlike _her, _he was actually much more elegant with words. "Thank you for saying that, Minato, -dattebane." She replied gratefully, smiling at him widely. _But still ... that's not what I meant when I asked. _Kushina thought, not surprised he had missed the double meaning in her vagueness. Her bad phrasing of language were the every constant bane of her existence, her verbal tic not withstanding.

"No problem." The blonde replied back, smiling a bit himself. However, his expression soon changed, reverting to his earlier confusion. "Now as interesting as a topic this is, I'm still a bit at a loss here." Minato told her honestly. "What caused you to ask something like this?"

"Yeah. I have a reason. A _very _important reason." Kushina chattered out immediately, still not being very specific. She couldn't help it! It was hard to come out and say it to him. Harder than it _should _be. D_ammit, Minato! It's all your fault. It you didn't have feelings for me, I would've said it by now! _The red-head thought carelessly, her frustration at her slack tongue continuing to build. Minato stared at her questioningly, still not sure what she was getting at. Finally fed up with her hesitance, Kushina found her voice again. "_Okay. _Quit with the third degree, dattebane." She snapped, more angry with herself than Minato. "See, I was with Sakura today and we did a lot of stuff. _Talked _about a lot of stuff."

"Which we covered ... or didn't we?" Minato inquired innocently.

"Well, the practical crap, yeah." She replied off-handedly. _The Tsunade-sensei reveal wasn't 'practical' exactly but whatever. _The Chunin thought, not caring that she had just contradicted herself. "But other things I figured out today. It's something I think you should know." Kushina told him.

Her blonde-haired friend looked interested, his curiosity having fully piped. "I'm assuming it has something to do with children. You decided you want to be a parent someday. Is that it?" He guessed.

"No!" Kushina spat without thinking. But then she remembered Naruto. Her amazing, sweet future son that Sakura talked endlessly about (most of what she said about him was good, some not-so-good) and she immediately felt bad. Kushina was only sixteen and it was true having kids wasn't something she often thought over but future or not, he was still _her _son. She didn't want to seem like she didn't want him, regardless of the fact Naruto wasn't born yet. Retracting her impulsive statement, she retorted clumsily "I mean ... Shut up, Minato -dattebane!"

Minato blinked at her somewhat defensive insult. _Kushina, I love you ... but it's difficult to try to figure out what you're thinking sometimes. _He thought, reiterating his similar inner monologue when she first got her. "I can't imagine what you're trying to say. You're confusing, Kushina."

"I'm _getting there, _okay?" The red-head grumbled. _Confusing?! He's the one who's confusing! _Kushina shot back in her head but amazingly, did not say the comeback out loud. Believe it or not, she wasn't there to fight. "Look, I ended up seeing Sakura earlier so she could confirm something for me. Whether I like it or not, I found my answer." The kunoichi began again. "Lately, she mentions her teammate a lot. And funny, you'd think it had nothing to do with me, right?" She said rhetorically, smiling forcibly. "Wrong." She answered herself, face serious now. "It's _unbelievable _what she told him, -dattedane! In normal situations, I'd call it the biggest bunch of bullcrap I _ever _heard and then call Sakura a crazy bitch, -dattebane." Kushina stated rashly. "But guess what? This ain't a normal situation." She clarified. "I can't do _any _of those things like I want to 'cause I know it's true."

The blonde Jonin listened to her fast-paced, long-winded rant. Kushina was on one of her emotionally driven tangents again that rarely allowed the spectator to get a word in edgewise. Not that he truly minded but it was just hard to keep up with. Before Minato could begin to put the pieces together of what she was saying and the implications behind her words, she quickly interrupted his train of thought again.

"And yeah, I know I'm not being very specific still. I get that. I'm sorry, -dattebane." She realized, her voice slightly more calm and slow-paced after panting from her fast, agitated speech. "So I'll guess I'll just stop wasting your time and just say it now." Kushina closed her eyes for a moment, having to rebrace herself for what she was about to finally get out. When she opened them again to look a Minato in the eye, her navy-blue gaze was filled with a complex amount of uneasiness and uncertainty. "Sakura told me that someday ... in the future, that I'm gonna be a mom." She finally confessed. "And _who _will I be a mom to? None other than _Naruto Uzumaki, _Sakura's _teammate._" Kushina added to her revelation. She observed Minato with worried caution, wondering how he would react to this.

Unsurprisingly, Minato didn't say anything. Saying he was stunned speechless was a more than apt way to describe it. While he was sure he would have figured out what Kushina was trying to say fairly well on his own, he wasn't expecting _this. _Too many confusing emotions conflicted inside him, slightly overwhelming him. Hopefulness had been his first emotion along with his shock which was then followed by its opposites: doubt and dread. _Selfish _doubt and dread. _I see Kushina ... so _that _was why you asked about being a mother. It's because you realized you _would _be one. No wonder you were thinking about such a thing, despite never doing so before. I should've saw this earlier. _He thought, trying to push down his conflicting feelings. "Are you sure?" The blonde asked seriously.

Having trouble reading his feelings now (which, in actuality, wasn't surprising; Minato never really was one for showing emotion and when he did, it was either slight or fleeting), Kushina settled on the truth. That's what she was good at, after all. Honesty was one of her hallmark traits. "As sure as I'll ever be. Pinky told me everything. I didn't believe it either at first but like she said, it's _obvious._" She confirmed. "I mean, even if you totally ignore the fact that he has _'Uzumaki' _as his surname, it's still easy to see. According to her, he has the same face as me and eyes." The red-head elaborated, adding mockingly " 'It's just a coincidence' I thought, -dattebane. Hah! Did I _mention _he says _dattebyo? _That ain't no frickin coincidence no matter how you slice it." Kushina retorted roughly.

"Naruto ... huh." Minato murmured. _That's an odd name. _He couldn't help thinking despite still feeling rattled with this. _Kushina ends up having a son someday ... I'm happy for her. _It wasn't a lie. He _was _happy for her. But the selfish part of him wondered and hoped if he was the father. He _loved _his red-headed friend. It would make him so happy if he was the father of this 'Naruto'. However, he didn't want to voice this to her. Since the day he met her, Minato _never _wanted to be selfish with her. It was exactly why he never confessed to her yet. He truly wasn't sure if Kushina felt the same about him but pushing her to him was something he vowed long ago he would never do. "Do you know who his father is?" He asked, subtly trying to get an answer instead of outright _saying _his thoughts. In his eyes, that would fall in the category of 'forced'.

Kushina felt surprised at his prying question but she quickly realized she shouldn't have been. _Of course he would wanna know. Honestly, I'm kinda glad I don't. _She thought, relieved a bit. If it _wasn't _Minato who was the dad, she wouldn't want to hurt him. And if it _was _... well, let's just say it wasn't something she'd like to touch on. In response to her friend, she shook her head. "Nope. Not at all." The Chunin said matter-of-factly. "I sort of want it to stay that way. Who wants to know _everything _about their future? I sure as hell don't, -dattebane." Kushina exclaimed.

Minato briefly felt surprised. He had automatically assumed she knew the future father of her own child but it looked like Sakura hadn't told her. The increasingly bothersome knot of anxiety and dread loosened massively. _You know what, Kushina? I don't want to know either myself. _He thought silently, feeling just relieved as Kushina. _I don't know if I'll ever be with Kushina someday but I don't want to find out just yet._ Minato would always support and dote on her for as long as he knew her but something that massive to him was not a matter he wanted spoiled. It would be like realizing if he fulfills his dream of becoming Hokage before it actually happened. In either of these cases, it was what he wanted to work at and build on himself with himself.

"You'll find out someday." The blonde informed her gently, feeling in a less worrisome mood. "So ... a son? That's great, Kushina." Minato told her genuinely, smiling at her. "Like I said before, you'd be an amazing parent."

Despite his kind words, the fiery red-head gave him a withering stare. "Stop acting like I'm already pregnant, you dope-dattebane. I'm still _sixteen_!" Kushina growled. "I'm not old enough to really think over stuff like that. It's _weird._" She mumbled, perturbed.

"Right, Kushina. I apologize." The blonde-haired Jonin replied, feeling entertained in spite of himself. "Sakura told you Naruto was her teammate, huh? That's ... dramatically ironic." Minato stated inquisitively.

"And that's not even the _weirdest _part, -dattebane!" The kunoichi said a bit loudly. "Well, actually not any part of this _isn't_ extremely weird." Kushina corrected herself before returning to her main point. " But you'll never guess what else I found out. Naruto actually likes _Sakura. _Yeah, _Sakura._" She noted, putting distinct emphasis on her name. "The bossy, annoyingly insensitive girl that we've been helping for almost a month."

Minato felt puzzled. "Is that really something to be upset over? So he has a crush on her. It's not terrible."

"It's _worse _than that, -dattebane!" Kushina wailed dramatically. "Much, _much_ worse." She complained in comical distress. "It's not even a _crush. _A _crush _I could handle. _This _isn't it." The red-headed kunoichi shot down, recalling Sakura's confession to her in the library over a week ago. "He actually _loves _her. Literally _in _love with her. Pinky told me so, -dattebane."

The blonde Jonin still stared at her questioningly. "I still don't understand." He told her plainly. "From what you and I have seen so far, Sakura is a very nice and giving person. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Naruto can fall in love with her. Is it really worth this kind of protest?" Minato asked, obviously not getting her point.

"I'm not upset 'cause it's Sakura, you baka -dattebane. I don't hate her anymore, remember?" Kushina reminded him, annoyed with how he still wasn't understanding where she was coming from with this. "I just don't like it because it's creepy. I shouldn't even have _met _the girl he loves yet. It's weird enough that I have a son. The fact that I'm hanging out with _her _lately isn't helping. And that's not even the complete story." She continued. "I think Sakura loves him too. It's so 'in your face', it's laughable if no one _can't_ see it. You have to be _stupid _if you don't. But she has this _huge _almost impenetrable wall of denial build up inside her head, she can't even admit it to herself. _All _because she thinks she loves some Uchiha teme who doesn't even know she exists. The girl has issues." Kushina said bluntly.

Minato absorbed all of her words like he usually did, very fascinated with her future son and Sakura's complex relationship. "It looks like you know your fair share, Kushina."

"Yeah. Half of which I don't even want to know anymore. It's so overwhelming, my head hurts." She stated, putting her hand to her hand in an unconscious gesture.

Minato grinned, clear mirth and enjoyment in his face. "Congratulations, Kushina. You were able to met your future step-daughter." He quipped, not able to stop himself from joking at his love's expense.

As expected, Kushina's eyes widened in slight horror. "Don't joke about that, Minato -dattebane!" She whined, tone almost pleading. "You're just making this situation even _more _awkward for me. It's not helping, y'know!" The red-head mumbled. _And you're probably enjoying it._

"Don't worry, Kushina. I was just kidding." He promised agreeably. _Though it might not turn out to be a joke in the future. _Minato couldn't help wondering though wisely decided to not say that in the red-headed kunoichi's presence. "I _do _have a question for you, Kushina."

"As long as it's not about Naruto and Sakura, I'll answer it." She commented dryly. Kushina was indeed glad she had got this entire thing off her chest and told him (like she told him most things) and that Minato seemed mostly unphased by her revelation. But it was a little confusing talking about things involving Sakura and her son now that she knew as much as she did. Definitely not one of her favorite topics by far.

Minato was faintly dismayed. "Well, it's not about that completely." He reassured her truthfully. "I just wanna ask you ..." He began. "If what you were really trying to say earlier was what Sakura informed you about Naruto, why were you so reluctant to share it with me?" Minato questioned, genuinely confused. Ever since that day he rescued her from the Kumo ninja a few years back, Kushina shared with him mostly everything. If not right away then at least eventually.

Just as quickly as it had left her, the young chunin's uneasiness returned full-force. _Just_ _when I was starting to feel back in my element, it deserts me. I can't get a break. The world really hates me today, doesn't it? _Kushina grumbled in her mind. Her reasoning before was clear. She didn't feel like telling Minato completely because she didn't want to risk hurting him or cause him unneccessary doubts. She cared far too much about him to risk doing that to Minato without _some _reservations. But should she tell him that? Her rough side said _No_ but her compassionate side said _Yes_.

_Once again, _Kushina was going through another bout of conflicting feelings. _There isn't anything with showing him I care. But that's not the problem. If I tell him the truth ... he'll know that I know he loves me. And _that _is getting dangerously close to another thing I don't feel like talking about now. _After a few more moments of her inner struggle, Kushina decided. To hell with the possibility of what might come up. She'd have to face up to it eventually and in her eyes ... chickening out now would make her feel like a coward. Which she _wasn't. _

Her navy-blue eyes clear and bright, Kushina's voice, unusually quiet, replied "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't wanna risk hurting you. You're the last person I know that deserves that, Minato."

Minato's eyes widened in astonishment, hardly able to believe what his friend had just said. It wasn't the words that shocked him but the _very _clear implications behind them that caused his reaction. _Kushina, you can't possibly be referring to ...? _"Kushina, what are you-"

The red-headed kunoichi sighed quietly, fully aware there was no going back now no matter how badly it could end. "Don't play dumb. You're a smart guy, Minato." She informed him. "I _know_. I _know _you love me. There's no point in trying to hide it anymore."

* * *

_*The Next Day*_

~~~Sakura~~~

The pink-haired medic-nin was pacing back and forth in her living room, unable to keep still for a moment. Agitation and vexation was visible in every line of her slender frame. She was tired. _More _than tired. Sakura was exhausted beyond belief and while that was a very understandable reason to be grumpy, it wasn't entirely responsible as for why she was currently pissed off. Her sleep had indeed been fitful and restless but it was all because her thoughts over her ever present troubles refused to shut up for a _minute. _It was _so _annoying! Her problems were getting so bad, Sakura couldn't even properly rest anymore.

And _who _was the main cause of her problems? Many people if she was being literal. But, at _this _moment, only _one _person was occupying her thoughts. A person Sakura wanted to literally punch the shit out of with a barrage of painful, chakra-infused punches. _Danzo ... you bastard. Jerk, asshole, coward, dumbass, useless, selfish, lying ... you're every insult and cuss word I know! _She thought furiously, far from calm. Sakura just couldn't _control _her fury. Never before had she _hated _him this much. True, she always distrusted him and never really liked him much. She was also particularly angry with him when he issued out the order as "Sixth Hokage" to eliminate Sasuke. But _this_? Sakura just could _not _accept what had transpired last night.

_Why the hell are you an advisor when you do things like this?! You just don't give a damn, do you? _She added to her dark inner monologue, genuinely frustrated. He was _never _to be trusted. _Never. _Yet he had a spot in the Hokage's higher-ups for _years _without complaints and _look _at how he was abusing it. _Who knows what other crap he did behind the scenes that me or Lady Tsunade know about. _She thought, displeased. Realizing she was _still _pacing in short lengths in her fuming state of mind, Sakura forced herself to slow to a halt and take a calming breath.

Succeeding enough that allowed her to think somewhat more rationally, Sakura tried to mull over the events more deeply than through blind fury (which, if she was honest, had been her main emotion since she left Danzo behind yesterday night). She knew she was still angry over it but anger wouldn't help Sakura. _I know why I'm so upset_ _... it's not just because Danzo is trying to manipulate me. I'm mad because I _know _my chances of getting back increase if I use his way of doing things, no matter how wrong or twisted they are. And I _hate _that. I shouldn't even be considering it! _She thought, feeling resentful and ashamed. She's wasn't _truly _considering it. Not really. But Sakura's mind couldn't completely block out the option, it was too desperate. That absolutely infuriated her even more than the fact that the shadowy man had even dared to prey on her weak point.

She sighed heavily, feeling her problematic circumstances weighing heavily on her shoulders. It caused Sakura to feel so much older than her age of sixteen. _Everything was so simple before ... nagging parents, a mission that was _supposed _to be easy and finished, drowning in my failure of killing Sasuke-kun and trying to help Naruto. It didn't_ feel_ easy but __compared to _this _...! __I'd trade in being stuck here for those things _any _day. _The medic-nin thought, the aching loss of the things she left behind growing sharper with each passing day. She never had the best luck throughout her young life to begin with, whether it was romance, ninja skills, or just everyday matters. It was really not that much of a surprise that this happened to her.

Sakura begin to move in the direction of her room, she was distracted when she felt something slip out of her pocket. Her bright emerald gaze landed on a picture. Picking it up delicately in her hands, she gazed pleadingly at it, as if her answers would be found in its familiar face. "Naruto ... I don't know what to do anymore." She said hopelessly. "I don't think I've ever been in a _worse _situation. It's just about a month since I've been gone and I haven't made _any _progress at all." Sakura continued unhappily. "Danzo's trying to trick me into doing something I'll end up regretting. Playing dirty like he usually does. And I shouldn't even be _thinking _about it." The pink-haired teenager claimed in distress. "But I know what you'd say." She stated matter-of-factly. " 'Don't give up, Sakura-chan! You're not a quitter. Don't trust that snake Danzo. You can do all on your own! You just have to believe in yourself.' " Sakura imitated her friend, knowing his predictable words in situations like this by heart.

The medic-nin still looked sad at the picture she was holding, its cheerful grin and kind expression only making her miss him more. "I wish I could be hopeful like _you, _Naruto." Sakura said. "But I'm still not going to give up. I don't want to and I know you wouldn't either." She decided. No matter how hopeless this seemed against her, Sakura just didn't give up easily. Call her stubborn but she's been that way for years. Despite her wavering then returning resolve, she sighed again in spite of herself. "I just wish you were here, Naruto. At least that way, I wouldn't be alone." The kunoichi admitted, feeling miserable and lonely.

She moved her hand over the picture gently, having the faintest twinges of smile on her face before carrying in her room and setting it securely on a table, not wanting to lose it. Sakura braced herself, her obstinate drive returning. "Okay. Time to get to work."

* * *

~~~Sakura~~~

Sakura stood outside of the Hokage office door, her arms crossed, tapping her fingers impatiently. She had come at one of the worst times to see the Third Hokage (who was at that moment in a meeting with his ANBU, talking about who knows what) to discuss one of her "solutions" to her time-travel predicament. Well, it wasn't so much as a solution; more like a baby-step to _towards _a solution. Unfortunately, Sakura couldn't really think that far ahead considering the difficulties. But it was better than nothing.

As her long-drawn out waiting continued to drag on, the pink-haired medic-nin ground her teeth curtly._ How much longer is it gonna take for crying out loud?! _Sakura thought angrily, forgetting her usual manners when it came to Hokage-related matters. As if her wishes were answered, The ANBU emerged from the room, completely ignoring Sakura's presence as if she wasn't there at all. Relieved that she no longer had to wait, she emerged into the office. "Third Hokage!" She greeted respectfully.

Sarutobi had previously bore a mildly concerned frown, deep in thought. At the sound of the kunoichi's voice, he was forced out of his reverie and acknowledged her with a nod. "Sakura, good to see you again."

"You too." She returned, preparing to pour her next brainstorm out to him when she fully realized how worried the Third Hokage looked. "Is something wrong?" Sakura questioned, concerned.

"Nothing _too _serious." Hiruzen tried to assure her. "I've just been trying to contact one of my top medics, Shinosuke." He informed Sakura. "I've haven't seen him yet so far but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." He continued lightly, adding "Tell me instead why you're here, Sakura."

_But those were _ANBU _you were talking to before. It must more serious than that. _She reasoned logically. However, she realized that whatever it was, the Hokage had no intention of sharing right now so she just decided to let it pass. Instead, Sakura told him what she had thought over a short while before. "I was thinking a lot lately and finally figured another step to this whole mess." She began. "Right from the beginning, nothing about this has been touch and go. I mean, one of the most glaring mistakes is because I couldn't remember the jutsu name in the _first place. _Just that it was a Uchiha." The young chunin reminded him, guilty nonetheless of that fact even as she said it.

"It's not your fault, Sakura. You were under a great deal of stress when you were attacked. It's not very surprising that you forgot." The Third Hokage protested, seeing the remorseful look in the medical ninja's eyes.

"Lemme finish. I haven't gotten to my main point yet." She cut him off, not trying to go out of her way to be rude. "Like I said, I forgot the visual jutsu he used on me. But there's a way I can remember it." Sakura continued. "You have an intelligence division, don't you? Or a _Yamanka _Clan member in the divison, at least."

Sarutobi looked interested at this, catching onto what she was saying. "What you plan to do is use a Yamanaka interrogator to use their mind reading technique on you. That's right, isn't?"

"Yep!" Sakura agreed cheerfully. "That way they can mind swipe my memories to the time of my attack and pick up on the jutsu that brought me here." She elaborated further. "Do you have one around to help me?"

"Well ..." Hiruzen began, thinking it over. "There _is _Eri Yamanaka. She's not on any missions at the time and she's pretty well-rounded with her mind reading technique. I'm sure I can enlist her to do this for us."

"Great!" Sakura exclaimed, her spirits beginning to rise a little. However, while she was glad she was finally going _somewhere _after so long, Sakura was still fully aware of how far off she was from reaching her destination. The young medical ninja had never stopped forgetting that her goal was still distant to her. But after so long of staying in place to the point of ridiculousness, Sakura couldn't help feeling more lively.

* * *

~~~Sakura cont.~~~

Soon after, the Hokage alerted one of his ninja to retrieve Eri Yamanaka who would undoubtably agree to come on the request of the Third Hokage. Despite this very good thing and development for her, Sakura still felt worried. _It's a real plus being able to know the jutsu Madara used on me when I was on my mission to the Sand. But still ... I __don't have any idea how to get back yet. I wish that could be solved as easily as this. _She thought, not completely satisfied with it. _But never mind that! One step at a time, after all. This _is _a step. It's not perfect but at least I'm not doing nothing anymore. I gotta quit with the negativity! I don't need it. _Sakura reprimanded herself innerly. She was never such a pessimistic person until she got brought in the past. It's wasn't exactly _surprising _but she still didn't like it one bit.

Eventually, it didn't take much longer for a tall woman in a Jonin vest to enter the office, her long, ebony black hair billowing out behind her. Her expression was stern and her pale blue eyes (trait of the Yamanaka Clan, no doubt; Sakura could tell because this woman had almost the same shade of blue that Ino did) serious. "Lord Hokage. You wanted me?" She inquired him, bowing at him slightly in respect.

"Yes Eri, I did." He confirmed. "I'd like you to meet Sakura." He began gesturing to the pink-haired girl near him. "I requested your prowess because I want you to mind read her with your Yamanaka Clan abilities."

Eri narrowed her gaze towards Sakura before casting a sideways glance at the Hokage. "Why?" She questioned distrustfully.

Hiruzen stopped himself from sighing. _I knew from the start explaining this to her would be far from simple. _He thought tiredly. There was no way he was going to give her the _entire _truth. He didn't believe the village was ready for the realization that time-travel jutsus were now confirmed to exist, if they even believed it in the first place. "As you know Eri, Sakura here was severely assaulted when she entered our village. But the problem is that she has no memory of the jutsu that was used on her. She blanked it out because of post-traumatic stress." Sarutobi explained patiently. "So in order to help her, my request is for you to do this."

The beautiful black-haired Yamanaka didn't say anything right away, dragging her steely blue eyes to glare daggers at the strange pink-haired teenager in front of her, openly suspicious. "I don't trust _her, _Lord Hokage. We know absolutely nothing about her." Eri argued. "_Why _should she have our help when she doesn't belong here? With all the wars, we can't risk outsiders." She insisted, shockingly outspoken against her leader.

Sakura's hopes were now beginning to dampen, a wave of familiar chagrin and discouragement coming back to welcome her. She remembered this. How many people in the village didn't trust her ever since she first came her. Somehow, the young kunoichi had succeeded in putting these trivial matters behind her and focusing on going home. But this sign of passive-aggressive hostility was something even _she _couldn't ignore and despite the logical part of her telling Sakura to get over it and move on, it nonetheless still _stung _her. _It's all just another reminder for me. I'm not home ... where I _should _be. I'm tired of all of this. _She thought, feeling somewhat depressed again.

"Well, _I _trust her." Hiruzen shot back. "As your Hokage, I'm giving you a direct order." He told Eri firmly.

The elegant Jonin looked agitated at her leader's persistence but this time, recognized her place of lower rank and kept her sharp tongue under wraps. Eri walked closer to Sakura, staring at the pinkette with an unfriendly yet grudging expression. "Try not to faint or squirm when I do this." She ordered her gruffly.

Sakura blinked. "Don't I have to go through that machine to make the process faster?" She asked, recalling how these type of techniques required things like that.

"Normally, yes." Sarutobi agreed. "But in this case, it's unneccessary. Your memories aren't very far back to make matters easier but that's not the reason that's the most important. Eri Yamanaka has exceptional mastery of her mind reading, she's able to go through things like this _much _easier." He elaborated. " But Sakura, you may want to sit down in this." Third Hokage suggested nicely. "The mind reading technique isn't the most comfortable feeling. It's usually used to interrogate enemies and spies, after all."

She nodded. "Right, of course. I never thought it was going to be pleasant." The medic-nin clarified for him. Taking his advice, Sakura sat down in one of te chairs in the office while Eri Yamanka looked on, clearly bored. "Okay. I'm ready." She told her determinedly.

Eri sighed dramatically, obviously not wanting to be here. She said nothing more and roughly put her hand on Sakura's head, closing her eyes as she used her chakra to get into her mind.

Instantly, the sensation caused a distinct and very annoying pain. Sakura made slight groans under her breath, her head feeling like it was penetrated (which, technically, it _was). _However, after several moments of intense pain her mind blanked out, very similar to when the time-travel jutsu had been used on her not to long ago.

Meanwhile, Eri Yamanaka's expression was one of absolute, pure concentration. After several minutes (she didn't know how long; possibly an hour or more) of shifting through her mind, she was shocked to see startling flashes of this girl's memories.

_It was a forest. A familiar forest at that, Eri was sure she had seen it before somewhere. In no time at all, the answer came to her. 'This is the direction to the Sand village.' __She realized. But parts of the area were totalled with a large crater and many other signs of battle. In the middle of it were none other than this odd girl Sakura (coincidentally in a hole so Eri assumed she was the one that caused it), looking angry and fierce at a tall man with a rather jarring orange mask and the top of his spiky black hair was able to peak through. The pink-haired girl spat many curses and insults at this strange man who remained cool and unphased._

_However, very little fighting went on from there. In no time at all, the orange-masked man grabbed Sakura by the neck and continued to proceed to choke her. She didn't stop fighting for a very long time, shocking Eri a little. Eventually though, she observed the mysterious assailant steal a scroll that the girl had held in her possession. As the girl was beginning to lose consciousness, the man's eye glowed strangely. 'Is that ... a sharingan?!' The Jonin recognized immediately, knowing the Uchiha's eye anywhere. Finallly, she heard the chanted words from him: Time Manipulation Jutsu!_

_The memory quickly in faded in blackness, causing Eri to dispel her mind reading jutsu, fairly certain she had found out what both the Hokage and Sakura had wanted her to know._

Eri's eyes opened to the real world instead of the mindscape she had transported in, clearly stunned in spite of herself. Noticing his Jonin's slightly disturbed expression, Hiruzen questioned "Eri? What is it? What did you see?"

It was around this time that Sakura herself began to become conscious again. Groggily, she put her hand to her forehead, trying to cease the _throbbing _headache Eri's venture into her mind had caused. "Wha? D-Did you find anything?" The medic-nin managed to mumble out, completely aware that her words were slurred and barely coherent.

After her shock of seeing the brutally unfair fight between the Uchiha and the teenager, Eri managed to summon up the last vestiges of her collected composure that had before she decided to do the mind search. Setting her mostly calm pale blue eyes on the Hokage, she stated simply "Sakura was attacked by some Uchiha in an orange mask wearing a robe with a red cloud pattern. I didn't recognize him. " She informed him professionally. "The jutsu he used was called 'Time Manipulation Jutsu' with his Sharingan. Again, I have never heard of such a jutsu." Eri stated to Sarutobi honestly.

"Thank you, Eri. You've helped us a great deal." Hiruzen told her graciously, having already forgiven the Yamanaka's bad-tempered mood when she got here. _Time Manipulation Jutsu, eh? I wonder if there are any secret archives over this mysterious jutsu. _The Hokage couldn't help but wonder, curious.

Eri nodded at him and quickly excited the office before anymore questions could be asked about her mind search, exiting silently, without a sound or word escaping her.

Sakura was still holding her hand, the headache particularly painful. "What did she say, Third Hokage? Did Eri-sensei get the jutsu name?" She asked once again, this time sounding much clearer if not tired. After suffering from the consequences of the mind reading, she hadn't been able to hear everything Eri had said about her experience.

"Yes, she did reach some success." He assured her. "Most what she shared with us, you probably remember. However, she _did _manage to get the jutsu name." Sarutobi told her. "According to her, it was called ... Time Manipulation Jutsu."

"Time Manipulation Jutsu?" Sakura exclaimed. _It makes sense ... he manipulated time so I could get sent here. How the hell did he learn that jutsu? _She wondered, frustrated and puzzled at such a thing. "At least have my one step." She added, trying to look on the bright side of things. _And a headache that I'm guessing won't fade away anytime soon. _Sakura thought, still irritated by the continual pain behind her forehead.

* * *

~~~Sakura cont.~~~

The pink-haired medical ninja left the office behind, still nursing her stinging head. Yes, Sakura has faced _far worse _than a headache. She had even got stabbed in the gut once by a sword coated with poison, almost dying in the process. She would _definitely _deal with a hurt head but it was a still very strong, annoying twinge. _I'd do it again if it makes me feel any better about trying to find a way home. _She thought. But her hurdles were far from overcome. Hell, she was still a the _starting line _as much as she hated to admit. _Well, back to the brainstorming I guess. It's all I can do._

As she turned in the direction of the path to her temporary apartment, Sakura's attention was jerked by loud voices, sounding panicked and worried. "What happened?" She questioned out loud, anxious. Those weren't happy noises.

Three men walked through the streets. One of them was hung limply between them like a deadweight. He was covered with so much injuries and blood, trails of it were spilling from him in thick lines. One shouted "He needs emergency medical attention! He was ambushed!"

On instinct, Sakura immediately rushed over to the men. "Put him down." She ordered firmly.

"Are you crazy?! He'll die!" A black-haired man yelled at her, angry.

Sakura glared at him furiously, not feeling very patient. " Shut up! Just put him down! Shannaro!" She snapped at him furiously. "I'm a medic. I can heal him."

They stared at him in defiance for a minute before they gently put him down. "Don't worry, Shinosuke. You'll make it." He whispered encouragingly to now completely unconscious man.

The young kunoichi's emerald-green eyes widened as she remembered the name. _That's the guy the Third was worrying about! The one he was trying to contact! So he _did _have something serious going on, just like I thought. _Sakura realized. Immediately, she gathered her green chakra in her hands and tried her best to heal him. _Damnit ... something's wrong here. I don't know what is but I can feel it. This _isn't _good ..._

* * *

**A/N: I REALLY got carried away with the MinaKushi cookies in this chapter. O.o More than I actually intended to, really xD. I think I fell prey to a shipping mood. ;) But still, I love the way I write the Kushina/Minato interactions. They can be very hilarious and light-hearted (Either Kushina with her temper or how Minato goes out of his way to avoid arguing with her but thinks different thoughts than what he actually says xD. That just kills me.) But this is my gift to the MinaKushi fans who I've been guiltily depriving of. :P And as I'm sure most of you figured out before, the "uncomfortable topic" Kushina was faced with was two things: 1). Minato's feelings for her 2). Telling him she becomes a mother. I had to really think over that one and see if whether of not she'd tell him it for a little but I figured ... why not? Drama is epic. xD. Minato's reaction was something I based off how I think Naruto would react. I always interpret how Minato acts in love is similar to how Naruto does. So yep! Minato/Naruto= selfless love. :3 There's slight differences. Minato's not nearly as insecure as Naruto is in love which I made sure to take note of. Similarities/Differences. Always have to remember that. :) On Kushina's part, I'm shocked I wrote her as so tender and soft in this chapter. xD I'm used to writing her so tough! But Minato brings out her nice side pretty easily so it's not a surprising. ;)**

**And one of my favorite parts ... the NS references in the MinaKushi talk. :3 I had way too much fun doing that xD. And Kushina! I love her ridiculous drama queen scene over Naruto loving Sakura and how she found it "creepy to hang out with her." XD I figured it would be a typical reaction for a sixteen-year old like her who never thought about having kids. Yet Minato continued to not get her point. :P God, I love him! XD "It's so 'in your face', it's laughable if no one can't see it. You have to be stupid if you don't." - for those of you who didn't catch it, that was very subtle author's reference to Naruto and his terrible denseness when it comes to Sakura. xD But enough with the fluff. Kushina finally confronted Minato over his feelings. And then I trolled you like Kishi and skipped to "Sakura- The Next Day" :D. Couldn't resist! But don't worry, you'll see bits of what happened soon. ;)**

**As expected, Sakura was angry. Both at herself AND Danzo. As much as I love angry Sakura and her insult parade XD, it's hard not to feel sorry for her. Nor is it surprising her emotions vary from "way too much optimism" to "way too much negativity". Her emotions really always are a flux (manga, my fanfic, you name it), especially in this situation. But I want your honest opinions here. Am I making Sakura TOO self-pitying? Or does it make sense because of the situation? I'd love some of you guys to answer that for me. ;) And yes, I had include a "picture of Naruto" moment. Besides the fact the manga is literally starving me from ANY NS interaction just yet, I saw that at least two of my reviewers mentioned the picture idea and I approve. :P I thought the NS moment was bittersweet. Sakura was feeling very hopeless and depressed right there, it was kinda sad she was talking to a picture. But nice too because thinking of Naruto restored some of her stubbornness a little, like he often does when she's with him. So yep, "bittersweet" is my take on it. **

**I pretty much bulldozed the possibility of SakuKushi in this chapter, deciding to focus on MinaKushi and Sakura development instead. And I'm glad I did. Touching on other aspects BESIDES SakuKushi was very refreshing. I actually like Eri xD. She's calm but not afraid to express her opinion to her own leader! Admirable XD. And I'm sorry if the end of this seems somewhat lacking/rushed, I was a bit (a lot) tired by the time I got there. And because my style of writing is "Flow Writing" (Chapters I write without pre-writing or planning it out before I start), I couldn't get to the tragic stuff that happens to Sakura that I hinted at in the last chapter. But I did get the beginning of it which I'm hope is okay (If ever say I'll put something in the next chapter and then don't, you'll know my "Flow Writing" is to blame. :P XD)**

**I think the best thing about this chapter is that it has everything. Fluff, pairing moments, quips/funny scenes, character development, and dark elements. I'd say that's a pretty full chapter, wouldn't you? :D**

_**Reviews make me smile. I love reading what you guys have to say. ;)**_

**NEXT CHAPTER: **Sakura gives her all to save the bleeding Shinosuke, only to fall prey to tragedies, shocking discoveries, desperation, and hopelessness. Things just get worse and worse for her to the point to where it almost seems too much. Kushina's problems with Minato and her own confusing heart still plague her but in the end soon become trivial as her world too starts to crash around her ...


	14. Chapter 14: Fallen Cherry Blossom

My friendliest salutations to you all! :D I'd like to mention my "later-than-thou" update could be a lot worse than what it turned out to be. Which is somewhat of a inprovement, I think. xD One thing about me: No matter how terribly irregular my updates often turn out to be, I always, always publish them at some point. I **never **abandon stories. ;) But anyway, I was surprised at the lack of MinaKushi mentions in my reviews last update. I thought _for sure _a lot of people would mention it. Was my MinaKushi moments that disappointing? XD Or Shinosuke's injuries (I'm _still _disappointed in how I wrote that scene. XD Everything else was solid until the rushness towards the end. Damn my tiredness!). Another scene I thought would be mentioned a lot but oh well :D. I'm perfectly okay with non-elaborated reviews. The feedback is still something I appreciate very much, anyways no matter what! :)

On an unrelated note, did anyone figure out last chapter where Minato lives? XD

But here comes a _very _important chapter to the plot. It'll influence character decisions, character development, and more challenges along the way in the coming chapters. Another "cornerstone", I guess. :P I'm just gonna come out with it and apologize for this extremely long chapter length. It's very crucial to the plot, so I guess it's to be expected. xD And as I type this, I'm sure most of you know it's not all rainbows and fluffy puppies now. More _seriousness _has arrived undoubtably. Some part of me hates doing all of this to Sakura and Kushina but to be frank, drama and angst keeps interest and provides a solid basis for what'll happen soon. It's very much-needed in my eyes. We'll see what you guys think. :)

Flashbacks are in _italics_, just to let you guys know. ;)

Last chapter, Sakura finally remembered the jutsu name that Tobi used on her and took a baby step towards the right direction finally after so long. But then she runs across a fatally messed up medic-nin who is none other than Shinosuke. Kushina's close _mentor/father-figure _we saw way back in the beginning of the story. Y'know what that means? Dramatic irony is what it means xD. Joking aside, it's true that this definitely complicates things more than Sakura's fully aware of. And Kushina finally faced up against Minato the night before this that purposely wasn't put in detail. What happened between her and Minato? Will Sakura be able to save Shinosuke's life? What else will happen to her? And most importantly, how will these events effect Kushina?

_All the answers lie below my entirely pointless author's notes that I'm sure most don't care about ..._

**Disclaimer:  **** I am a sixteen-year old fanfic writer who happens to live happily in Arizona, not a 38-year old Japanese man who loves to troll his fans :3 XD. If I was somehow Kishi, you'd see that Tenten wouldn't be invisible, Itachi would most certainly still be around so I could see him figure out how to beat Obito & Madara (I WISH this happened! It'd be so cool!), and Yamato would be rescued by now so I don't have to feel guilty for forgetting so often he's still in danger. xD**

* * *

_Fallen Cherry Blossom_

Kushina lay stretched out on her stomach in her room, head almost face down into the pillow of her bed. Her navy-blue eyes had a downcast and stressed look to them. She was sulking. How Kushina _hated _to admit it and if anyone ever pointed it out, she would bite their head off in a heartbeat but she knew she was. _And it's so _stupid _to be sulking over! I'm not like this. I've never been the one to be to be upset over ... _boy _troubles. It's so ... so _girly_! _The red-head realized, horrified and indignant by what she was turning into lately.

Being called "girly" was to Kushina a very offensive insult. At least to _her _of all people! She had never wanted to be girly for as long as she remembered. Kushina took pride in her tomboyish characteristics, girliness more than anything just annoyed the hell out of her. _And here I am ... acting 'girly'. I'll never be able to hear the end of this. _She thought, her fierce pride having a sting of shame to it. _And y'know whose fault it is? Minato x30, Sakura x100. Just because _she _is the one that made me get into this mess in the first place! _Kushina grumbled, angry. What happened to how simple life was before this? As _soon _as Sakura first appeared to her in the forest, she just had to go and complicate every single _detail _of her life. Even her love life! And that wasn't even her business at all to _begin _with. _Sakura, you know what you are? A confusing complicator. Every single thing you do, say, see, and touch turns it into in a confusing mess of complications. That's your damn _calling_. Forget your medical ninja skills! _Kushina thought, feeling naturally angry.

However, the emotion she had grown accustomed to promptly faded. The red-head half-heartedly lifted herself from her bed, sitting upright with her arms hung limply to her sides. Kushina had her head slightly down, her navy-blue eyes brimming with stress. She exhaled her tiredness, hardly able to believe she was under such mental exertion. Kushina herself was always so easy-going and cheerful; not much fazed her. _It's not Sakura's fault. She didn't drag me into it, _I _did. Everything that's happened so far is what I chose to do. Pinky's just the _motivator, _sort of. _The kunoichi conceded, having trouble blaming the pink-haired girl for everything like she originally found she was good at. _But she _still _complicates everything. That much is true. _Even though not much of it truly _was _Sakura's fault, she will still always be, in Kushina's eyes ... a complicator.

"Mom's right. I gotta stop blaming other people for my own mistakes." She said outloud, beginning to realize the immaturity of that habit. Akana had once told that to her a while back, not Kushina really listened at the time.

It didn't take very long for the red-headed kunoichi's thoughts to return to the main cause of her inner turmoil. It wasn't Sakura, that's for sure. _Minato ... and my stupid, stupid complicated issues with him. I honestly don't know _what _made me talk to him about all of this. Kushina Uzumaki plus romance? _Bad, bad _combination. _Kushina thought sullenly. She sighed loudly, disturbing her long bangs contained by the yellow clip. Kushina wasn't good at this stuff. Hell, love was the farthest thing on her mind for a while now! _I did it. I can't believe I actually went through with it. And ... _Her train of thought trailed away, the red-head's eyes lighting with the memory of her "talk" with the blonde.

_~Flashback: Previous night~_

_"Don't play dumb. You're a smart guy, Minato." Kushina said tiredly. "I _know. _I know you love me. There's no point in trying to hide it anymore." She finally worked out, slightly surprising herself with finally outright saying it. _

_Minato's bright blue eyes were unfathomably wide, looking astonishingly alarmed. 'Huh. Normally, he's so expressionless.' The red-head noted privately. On normal circumstances, Kushina would've probably teased the Jonin for allowing himself to be taken off guard like this. Unfortunately, it _wasn't. _That meant her inappropriate trait of cracking jokes wouldn't make the situation any better._

_The blonde continued to not say anything at all for several moments, staring at her like a frightened child that had just been scolded. 'Wow. I would _totally _have the urge to make fun of the "Yellow Flash of Konoha" like this. Too bad the situation's so weird.' Kushina thought, disappointed. She was beginning to worry about Minato's almost paralyzed state of being. 'Should I say something to snap him out of it?' She wondered._

_After what seemed to be many hours of silence, Minato eventually replied shakily "Kushina, I-" _

_"Lemme get this straight, Minato. _Lying _over something as important as this is not gonna cut it, -dattebane!" The kunoichi growled out fiercely, frustrated that her best friend was being this difficult. "Whether you really feel like that or not, just say it. Out with it, -dattebane!" Kushina demanded, the suspense beginning to be too much for her. "And if I found out you _lied_, it won't look good for you, you know!" She warned him, slightly angry._

_The blonde-haired Jonin looked briefly startled at her straightforward tone. However, his expression changed into a thoughtful yet worried one. Minato hesitated a little bit longer until responding. "What makes you think I do, Kushina?" _

_Kushina scowled at his evasive tone. 'Should've known he wouldn't have given me a straight answer.' She thought in annoyance. "Whatdaya think?" The red-headed girl began unhelpfully. "Sakura-pinky told me a while back. A week in the library. She said that it was obvious you loved me." Her face softened a little into mild reluctance. "I didn't figure it out on my own though if that's what you're thinking." Kushina admitted quietly, still feeling slightly stupid that she didn't. _

_At the mention of Sakura, Minato seemed even more confused and shocked. She didn't blame him, honestly. Sakura had only been stuck with for a little over three weeks. It was surprising the pink-haired medic-nin realized Minato's supposed feelings so easily and quickly. Hell, Kushina _herself _barely had that thought cross her mind until that day._

_Minato's gaze fell to the floor. "Oh. I see." He stated lamely. _

_This angered Kushina. "Minato, remember what the hell I said? Give me an answer. And don't you dare lie." She reiterated. Some part of the red-headed kunoichi didn't truly _want _to know. To some extent, Kushina was scared of what his answer may be. But she started it dammit so there was _no _way she was going to back out of it now!_

_Her friend seemed apologetic and somewhat guilty at her words, if not still reluctant. Eventually, Minato sighed. "I know what you said, Kushina. I understand." The blonde told her tiredly. He couldn't stop himself from hesitating a tiny bit longer before finally giving the red-headed kunoichi her answer. "Sakura is very observant ... and she's right. It's true, Kushina." Minato gave his long-awaited response, not allowing himself to look at her in the eyes._

_That did it. The life-changing confirmation from her long-time best friend rendered the chatty Kushina absolutely dumbstruck. True, she mulled over this possibility for a while now but she had refused to allow herself to fully believe it. For that, she was completely and utterly unprepared. 'So Pinky was right. It's true. Minato actually _does _love me ... how am I supposed to react to this?' Kushina wondered desperately, having never been more confused and lost before in her life._

_Seeing the large eyes stretched in disbelief and lost expression of his red-headed love, Minato seemed dismayed. "This isn't how I wanted it to go." The blonde muttered, almost to himself. _

_At the response of her friend's discouraged voice, Kushina awoke from her daze a little. "How, -dattebane? When, -dattebane? Why, -dattebane? How, -dattebane?" She questioned with a distinct lack of elegance, not at all noticing that she had repeated the same question twice._

_The young Jonin continued to look away, his discomfort with this topic still not having faded in the least. "Do you have to ask things like this now?" Minato asked unhappily._

_"Yes!" Kushina retorted immediately, her fists raised in her excitement. "You _need _to answer my questions, okay, -dattebane?" She told him fervently. 'Why didn't you ever tell me?' The red-head thought, puzzled. _

_Minato sighed again. "I don't feel like explaining right now, Kushina. It's a topic for another day." He continued, mildly protesting._

_She was beginning to get impatient. "I don't give a damn about your feelings. So what if you're uncomfortable? I'm asking you for answers and I deserve to know, -dattebane." Kushina argued tactlessly. _

_"There's no way I'm getting out of this, am I?" He questioned tiredly, voice nonetheless matter-of-fact._

_"Nope!" She confirmed for him, a stubborn light in her navy-blue eyes._

_"I figured as much." He noted. _

_"Minato ... please tell me. I promise I won't judge you." Kushina pleaded, her voice unusually reassuring and gentle. She knew, without a doubt, how uncomfortable it must be for him to talk about this after so many years. That's _exactly _the reason she had avoided the subject for this long herself. However, Kushina also knew things like this couldn't be ignored forever. At some point, both of them would have to face the music. 'It's not good to keep things like this bottled up, Minato! I wouldn't think differently of you, you're my best friend!' The red-head thought, desperate to get her favorite blond to open up to her._

_Minato stared at her, some unreadable emotion in his eyes she couldn't begin to place. "I know you wouldn't judge me for it, Kushina. You're not like that at all." He said seriously. "That's not why I'm reluctant to talk about it." Minato corrected her, looking away from her slightly, somewhat sheepishly adding "It's just that ... romantic matters are rarely easy to talk over." _

_'Minato, you have _no idea _how much you're right on that. Lovey dovey stuff is always so complicated!' Kushina thought, sick of it all herself. Ever since Sakura told her Minato's feelings, the word 'complicate' was an understatement to describe this scenerio. The red-head was thrown in the depths of uncertainty, tangled with affairs Kushina half-wished she wasn't aware of. It was always _so much _more simple to meddle in other people's romantic problems but never your own._

_"I know. But wouldn't it be worse to not say anything at all, -dattebane?" The red-headed kunoichi reasoned. Her previous impatience starting to make it's way back to the surface again, Kushina frowned. "So just answer my questions, would jah? It's important, y'know!" _

_"I guess you're right. Waiting clearly isn't an option anymore." Minato conceded. He looked briefly unsure still, but much to Kushina's relief, he seemed to be a lot more calm and accepting than he was moments before. 'That's good ... he's gonna tell me now.' She noted in her head, sure of it. Finally, after so much stalling and avoiding, Minato would finally give her the answers she craved. Kushina hated having questions. She hated it even more when they were left unanswered._

_The blonde-haired Jonin seemed like he was about to exhale again, as if trying to brace himself for the coming discussion he was clearly completely unprepared for. His bright ocean-blue eyes gleaming with slight anxiety still, Minato inquired, "So? What question do you want me to answer first?"_

_"_Everything-ttebane!" _Kushina said, a bit too loudly in her ardent quest for answers. "I don't care how you start, just explain it to me. I _really _don't understand it, y'know." She confessed, hearing every ounce of puzzlement and confusion she was then feeling inside in voice. Her wide, dark eyes reflected it in her its luminous orbs. 'We need to talk it out! I don't think I've ever felt this mind-screwed before.' Kushina thought, actually somewhat surprised at her conclusion. She had been through _many _things in her life, after all._

_"Let's see." Minato's nervousness vanished almost completely, looking very thoughtful. Not a trace of worry or even fear was visible. Kushina couldn't help being somewhat surprised by that factor, despite knowing completely by now the blonde's characteristic collected and confident demeanor._

_Finally seeming to be satisifed with the right words to say, Minato stared at Kushina. "I guess it all started from the day I first saw you, Kushina." He began, smiling a little. "I remember when you first arrived into the Academy ... one of the first things you did was scream to the whole class that'd you'd be Hokage someday." The Jonin reminisced, amused at the memory. "I was impressed, frankly. You reminded me of myself when you said that. After all, my dream is to be Hokage someday, too." Minato added, smiling a bit wider now._

_Kushina stared at him hopelessly, feeling unreasonably guilty. "But you know I didn't mean that, Minato!" She reminded him, remembering her that day well. "I just wanted those stupid kids to not underestimate me just 'cause I was new, -dattabane! I wanted to be _acknowledged _as some bad ass kunoichi, not some little girl who doesn't dream big." Kushina ranted a little, some of her frustration during that time coming back. "I'm not the responsible type, I'd be bored stiff with all that paperwork."_

_"I know that, Kushina." Minato corrected her lightly. "I'm not done yet." He told her, going on to his next declaration. "I could tell you were different. Ever since then, I knew it without a doubt. I really liked you, Kushina." The blonde claimed sincerely. "However, as I recall, you never really got along with anyone. I tried to talk to you a few times, but ..." Minato trailed off, frowning in memory. _

_"I'm sorry, Minato! I was a judgemental bitch to you then, I know it." The red-head blurted out on impulse, ashamed of her past treatment of Minato during her younger years. True, most of the time Kushina ignored his existence. Truthfully, it was because she didn't find him worth her time. However, she knew the few instances she did acknowledge his presence and it was never pleasant. 'I was terrible to him ... ! All because I was being bratty and thought he was too useless and girly-looking to treat right. I was so childish ...' Kushina thought, genuinely feeling awful over it. Ever since that day he rescued her, her feelings for him had never been the same._

_"Relax, Kushina. It's in the past, I never held it against you." The blonde-haired Jonin replied gently with a good-natured expression on his face. "Anyway, I was discouraged by it all, I will admit. It was then I decided to leave you be on your own until you came around." Minato admitted, somewhat sheepishly. "Upsetting you has always been one of the things I hated most." His minor embarrassment was replaced by seriousness again. "And I'm sure you know what happens after that ..." _

_Kushina's navy-blue eyes widened in realization, remembering instantly what he was alluding to. "That day ... when you saved me after I was kidnapped by those lame-ass Kumo nin by following my hair strands. The day we became friends." The red-headed kunoichi answered. Kushina had always secretly treasured that day in her heart, despite how hard it was for her to admit it out loud. 'Minato changed everything ... he made me actually like myself. It never mattered anymore if my hair was red that everyone made fun of ... I was just _me._' She reminisced silently, her heart welling with affection and gratitude towards her best friend at her remembrance. _

_"That's right." Minato nodded. "I could never let you get kidnapped like that, Kushina. I'd never forgive myself for it." He told her honestly, his bright blue eyes now gleaming with affection. "You were smart, Kushina. Leaving those strands out like that ... your red hair is very distinct, after all." The jonin complimented her, before sighing a little. "It's something I've always loved about your hair. It's unique, just like you." _

_Kushina, for once in her life, was rendered unable to speak. Minato complimenting her long, flowing hair the first time had been the biggest shock ever for her, the kunoichi_ never _thought she would ever hear it. In her eyes, everyone thought it was disgustingly ugly (herself included). Hearing one of her biggest past insecurities by Minato once again admired ... it touched her in ways she couldn't even describe in words. _

_"Minato ... !" She exclaimed, feeling choked with flowery emotion. Kushina could feel slight tears behind her eyelids developing. It wasn't overflowing from her eyes, but it was enough to be noticed. 'Damnnit, no. I hate crying! I never cry.' She complained in her thoughts, but her emotions were too high-strung for her to truly regain control over herself. _

_Her blonde-haired friend was still smiling, obvious tenderness in his face. "I don't see how this calls for tears, Kushina." Minato joked light-heartedly, his voice soft and gentle nonetheless._

_The red-headed girl blinked back her tears, and immediately raised her fists to furiously rub the offending material from her eyes. "Why, -dattebane? Why me?" Kushina implored her friend, staring at him in her tumultuous confusion. "I'm a loud-mouth, I always interrupt others. And I'm not exactly your picture-perfect _princess. _I'm moody, and, and tempermental!" She told him, completely at a loss. Kushina couldn't even begin to conceive all the sincere words Minato was telling her, it was the last thing she ever thought she would hear from someone. Ever since she became the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, her fate was lonely. Akana tried, but once upon a time ... all Kushina had ever thought about herself was being an outsider. "Plus-" She continued on, the red-head's emotions still clouding her._

_Minato shook his head firmly, abruptly halting Kushina's less than self-flattering rant. "You say it like it's a bad thing." He pointed out, tone thick with disbelief. "You're not perfect, Kushina. No one is." The blonde-haired Jonin said seriously. "But your better qualities outshine your flaws." Minato began. "You have a great heart and you're never afraid to fight for what you believe in. You can be very stubborn, but that same stubbornness can give you strength. And on top of that ... you're exceptionally brave. That's what I love about you." He stated sincerely, full of admiration. Minato closed his eyes and smiled to her, saying "I love you, Kushina." _

_Kushina's dark eyes widened to unfathomable limits, feeling completely shell-shocked. 'Those words ... those three words ... he actually ...' Her mind froze, unable to finish her thought. Instantly, the red-headed kunoichi felt tears brimming to the forefront, but she couldn't bring herself to care like she had before. Kushina felt one tear slide down her left cheek, feeling unusually vulnerable. "Minato ... why didn't you ...?" She tried to ask him, the teen's usually confident voice actually shaking._

_"Because Kushina ..." Minato exhaled a breath, his smile now having a tinge of sadness to it. "I never wanted you to feel pressured or uneasy over it. I figured it would be best for you to come to your own decision. Besides ... I was worried a little that it would complicate our friendship." He admitted, seeming to be slightly embarrassed as he said it._

_"_Complicate, -dattebane?!" _She reiterated, sounding incredulous. 'Minato ... you stupid, selfless baka. You didn't have to do that for me!' Kushina thought, feeling angry at her friend's natural altruistic nature. 'He should've never kept something like that hidden from me ... it'd only end up hurting him!" She added to her inner monolgue, feeling guilty over it. It was her fault too, after all. If her denseness hadn't prevented her from seeing the truth for so many years, Minato wouldn't of consistently held himself and his feelings back from her._

_"Yes." Minato stated. "You've been through so much, Kushina ... much more than you should've ever been permitted to deal with in the first place. I didn't want to add my feelings to your burdens, it would've been easier on you if you didn't know." The blonde explained, sounding completely convinced what he was saying was true._

_"That's not your decision, -dattebane!" Kushina retorted hotly, genuinely angry despite the tears she now had flowing from both her eyes. 'Minato ... can't you just once think about yourself first? You can't _always _put everyone before you, y'know!' She thought, frustrated. Ever since they became friends, she could come to recognize that flaw of Minato's. He was not only actively humble and modest, but singularly unselfish. He would _always _think about how others would feel or what they needed before himself. It was so utterly touching and sweet, it could easily bother Kushina if the case was extreme._

_"Maybe you're right. Though it's too late for that now, is it?" Minato replied agreaably, seeming somewhat amused._

_ A brief silence stretched between the long-time friends, making Kushina get antsy and uneasy. She truly didn't know _what _to do now. Minato confessed his feelings for her, in every painfully sweet detail possible. Now all that was left for her was the existently large elephant in the room: Did she love Minato the way he loved her? It was question that scared Kushina, far more than any enemy she had ever faced in battle throughout her kunoichi lifestyle. 'Minato ... he's always been there for me. Always supporting me, always helping me ... I sometimes feel like he's the only one that truly understands me. I can be myself with him.' Kushina recognized this, acutely in fact. When he saved her from the Kumo-nin three years before, she felt a warmth in her heart for him that she could never truly place. She had never felt that way for anyone else throughout her young life before. _

_"Minato ... I-" The red-head tried to begin, not even really sure what she was trying to say. Kushina just knew she had to say _something _about this. There was no way in hell she would be able to brush it off like it never happened, especially know that she knew how fond of her Minato really was._

_"Kushina, it's okay." The Jonin interrupted her awkward attempt to speak. He had already anticipated the words she had wanted to say beforehand. "I don't need an answer anytime soon. This isn't about that. Forcing you like that is something I'd never do." Minato reassured her kindly. "I know you're confused about all of this, I don't blame you. I'll let you find the answer on your own." Her blonde-haired friend grinned a little, gently saying "No matter what, I'll always be here."_

_~End Flashback~_

Vividly, the memory of Minato's smiling face struck a chord in her. _That selfless little baka ... I can't even get how he could be that way so naturally. How can you say you can wait like that? _Kushina thought, sighing her woes. Truly, she was the epitome of the term "emotionally worn-down". The short amount of time since then had done very little to make her feel any better.

Afterwards, Kushina had finally restrained herself enough to wipe away her tears (which, amazingly, hadn't embarrassed her at the time), and had thanked Minato for giving her this time to think. _I wonder if it hurts him to wait for a response like that ... probably. _She thought, not stopping herself from feeling remorseful of her actions. Minato had merely nodded his head to her and let her leave, saying once or twice that he understood. _Understood? Understood?! Minato, you're way too nice. _

When she got home (late, of course; she had lost track of time when she was with Minato), Kushina had somehow regained the shreds left of her dignity and stopped her crying. That ceased, but her sense of feeling emotionally numb had persistently remained. Even now, it still hadn't went away.

Now, she had to constantly think over her feelings for Minato. It wasn't possible to avoid the subject now, even if she wanted to. Truthfully, Kushina's heart ached at the thought of side-stepping it, for Minato's sake. She never wanted to cause him any amount of pain whatsoever. _Besides, that would make a coward, right? Kushina Uzumaki and 'coward' are totally unrelated. No way that's me! _She thought, hating the idea of it. Her absolute _repugnance _of that insult would, if nothing else, not allow her to walk away from it.

In times like this, it was her curse to have no missions to do with Eri-sensei. Kushina welcomed missions, it always helped keep her mind off things that involved her difficult confusion with Minato. However, unfortunately the world was against her. So, for Minato (and herself) she had to think this through carefully. _Did _she love Minato? That question had never been crossed her mind until Sakura broke her ignorance bubble, something she both wanted to incredulously blame the pink-haired girl for, yet thank her at the same time.

An answer was far from easy. Kushina knew she used to heavily dislike him for very terrible, shallow reasons; that much she had never even questioned. Hell, she was far from proud over that time. Though when Minato saved her and made her like herself at the age of thirteen, he had thrown a massive wrench in what she felt for him. She had finally acknowledged him as a strong and kind-hearted shinobi, one who could like her most hated aspects. She loved him for it; now Kushina could never imagine her life without him. He was sweet, selfless, responsible, mature, handsome ... practically the perfect guy. Still, some part of her was hesitant. Afraid still. _I've always been alone ... love just seems ridiculous to me. It's not Minato, it's _me. _I'm afraid to give him that chance ... what if it ends badly? What if I end up as pathetic as Pinky is for the Uchiha? What if he dies and I end up ruined like Mom? _Kushina felt her heart squeeze intensely in a poignant fear at Minato dying. Kami, it was one of the worst things possible she could imagine. She closed her eyes, trying to mentally shake that disturbing image from her mind.

It was clear to her. No matter how hard she tried, Kushina could not find an answer yet. As much as she loathed making Minato answerless regarding her feelings for him, she was too emotionally tangled to even _begin _to understand what she was feeling lately. "Damnit. Damn all this shit." She cursed in a mutter, despising how challenging all this was. _Why _couldn't it be like training? That was easy for her, not to mention fun. _Or why not beating the hell out of some jackass boys? I'm pretty good at that. _She added absently, wishing it was as simple as some stupid jerks taunting her, only to pummel them so they could shut up/leave her alone. Inoichi popped into her mind then, as she reflected on it.

For once, the red-head felt no need for violence. Kushina needed something to do, no doubt. Sitting at him moping about her boy troubles, specifically Minato was not going to cut it. "Maybe I'll find Sakura or something." She said out loud to herself, not sure what else there was to do. "Y'know, to talk with her ... or _fight_ with her. Whichever one happens first, I guess." The red-head decided casually, not caring if they got along today or argued. It kept her busy enough either way.

* * *

~~Sakura~~

The young medic-nin's emerald-green eyes narrowed in intense concentration, putting all her effort into her healing. She even blocked out the two men, hovering around her. Despite their earlier reluctance, their grumbling and complaints didn't last as soon as Sakura told them she was a medical ninja. It was something she was grateful for. Saving a comrade's life was far more important than any reservations they had.

"Are you doing it? How is he?" The black-haired man probed cautiously, a tinge of worry in his voice.

"Shut up, Takahiro!" The older ninja with him reprimanded, sounding irritated. "She's a medic-nin. Let her do her job." He reminded him, not even bothering to mention Sakura's unknown origins. She was assisting Shinosuke, so it was unimportant to him.

Sakura ignored the men talking next to her, not even daring to break her concentration at such a critical time. Shinosuke's injuries were terribly austere, she couldn't risk even the slightest distraction. As Sakura's glowing green chakra coursed through her hands into the source of the injury, she rapidly sweeped her gaze over the battered and bloodied ninja. He had a deep, heavily bleeding incision across his face. By some miracle, this man managed to not be blinded, although Sakura was sure it would leave a scar that would never be erased. _A sword was used to attack him somehow ... judging by the strange angle, was it a katana? _She wondered, not hundred percent sure. _But still ... that's not all that happened. They said he was ambushed. And it looks like the jutsus that were used were water, I think. Probably some others, too. _Sakura judged, noting feeling the massive internal damage she felt on the left side of his body. Something like that usually was inflicted by an water release.

The pink-haired girl grit her teeth, frustrated. She could only make such scare calls on such little evidence. _Who could have done this to this to him? Why was he ambushed? Was it an attack from a rival village? _Sakura couldn't help questioning in her head, feeling incensed and puzzled by this new development. _Not now, Sakura! Just put all your focus into healing. You can wonder about that stuff later. _She immediately admonished herself, now even more annoyed. Abruptly cutting off her train of thought, she once again charged full-force on her healing chakra, immensely worried at the ninja's still too shallow breathing.

After the shouts raised by the two men who had barreled their way into the streets, along with Sakura's fast move to action, a crowd of the civilians and other shinobi's were standing idly by, utterly shocked by the bloodied display in front of them. It was a mixed sea of both reluctant and worried people. She still hadn't noticed the chock-full of people behind her, in her desperation to heal Shinosuke.

"Should we actually let this stranger heal one of our wounded?" One whispered, sounding particularly apprehensive.

"I don't know ... she seems to be helping. But still ... what do we really know about her?" A woman whispered back, seeming to be torn. Part of her wanted to believe this young medic-nin was an asset, but the other was still holding back.

As soon as she uttered that sentence, a gruff voice sharply bit back. "What is the matter with some of you?! One of our medical ninja just got ambushed by some unknown assassins, possibly on the verge of _dying_, and _you're _worried about whether or not we can trust the pink-haired girl?" A tall shinobi pointed out, sounding outraged. "She's helping us keep one of our shinobi. You'd just sit there and allow him to die because of some foolish fears? We need another medical ninja to heal him, we just got one." The young man added, his jet-black eyes glaring furiously, contrasting with his long silvery hair.

"Sakumo's right! Stop complaining when a comrade needs help!" A female ninja agreed, nodding her agreement, looking vexed at the others who had suggested distrusting Sakura at such a critical time.

Meanwhile, Sakura's frantic uneasiness elevated to an alarming height as she noticed Shinosuke's steadily lowering pulse. Her emerald eyes stretched in shocked disbelief, she urgently pressed her chakra into the man. However, despite her struggles to heal him, it was almost like she had done nothing at all. _This is bad! He needs to get to the medical corp. at the Konoha hospital right away. He won't last much longer with the little things I have to help him! _ She realized, scared and disturbed at the even darker turn of events.

"Get the Hokage now! Tell him what's happened!" The pink-haired medic-nin ordered hurriedly, finally acknowledging the crowd behind her. "This man needs to get sent to the hospital right away! And do it quick, his life depends on it!" Sakura added, not to anyone in particular. They needed fast action for this if they were to support Shinosuke and help him live.

However, her command didn't come to fruition as it normally did in her own village. Instead, she saw a sea of hesitant and worried faces, not even "taking action" as she had instructed them to. Many of them seemed torn, others angry. Needless to say, Sakura was floored, utterly numb by such obvious reluctance when a fellow shinobi was in a life-threatening condition. _No way ... they _still _don't trust me? Even now, they're hesitating because of me? I'm just trying to help! What's _wrong _with them?! _She thought, stupefied and more than a little distressed.

It didn't take very long for Sakura's confusion and hurt to manifest itself into pure rage and supreme resentment. These ninjas allowed themselves to _freeze _because of _her _when Shinosuke needed immediate treatment? It was despicable, inhuman, and cruel! Not even daring to risk ceasing her healing chakra on her patient, she turned her head to her audience, bearing a thousand colors of disgust and fury in her gaze. " What are you staring at?! Didn't you hear me?! Stop being annoying bastards and follow my damn order! Shannaro!" Sakura shouted at them, letting her cuss words slip out in her anger. Her emerald-green eyes held such fierceness and rage in them, it seemed almost powerful to sear a hole in the strongest of steel.

At her insulting words and brusque voice, many of the shinobi awoke from their resistant reaction, seeming to be shocked at the degree of anger in the young kunoichi's voice. Takahiro, who stood nearby, complied right away, both guilty of his intial unwilling attitude and slightly frightened at the pink-haired teen's irascible disposition. "Y-yes. I'll go and find Lord Hokage to fill him in on this." The black-haired ninja submitted meekly.

She merely glared at him, her votalie temper having barely quieted down. "Good. Go and be useful for once." Sakura responded crossly, not having the grace to feel regretful for her apparent rudeness.

Wisely not allowing himself to be offended by the sharp barb the medic-nin had thrown at him, Takahiro nodded nervously and quickly took off, out in search for the Third Hokage to tell him what transpired.

As he disappeared, a tall silver-haired man strided up to Sakura, seeming very annoyed and angry with what the others had just displayed himself. He nodded his head to her, telling her, "Let me take Shinosuke to the hospital. I'll get him off your hands."

The pink-haired girl shook her head forcefully at his request, feeling her abhorrence and protest over leaving her patient alone swirl inside her chest. "No! I don't want to leave him." Sakura objected, far too concerned to do so. "It'd take too long to get there without a medic monitoring him. This is life-threatening, after all." She mentioned to him fretfully. There was _no way _she could just abandon Shinosuke, she'd worry too much.

"Don't worry, I'm fast. He'll be fine." Sakumo attempted to reassure her, already kneeling down beside her to pick up Shinosuke's still prone form, his unnaturally shallow breathing still remaining.

"No! You can't do it like that! I only stopped a little of his bleeding." Sakura objected again, afraid his wound's would start fully overflowing; his survival would be even _less _if that happened. "Wait, maybe ... " She mumbled, an idea coming to her to make this transaction a little easier. Directing her concentration completely back to the victim in front of her, the pink-haired girl did some hand signs, closing her eyes as she did it. _Please, let this work ... _Sakura prayed, a little nervous.

Gathering up her chakra into her hands, Sakumo watched in stunned surprise as the bright green chakra this girl had created grew larger and larger from her palm. It eventually grew and spread all over Shinosuke's body, wrapping around him like a protective, comforting cocoon. _What is that jutsu? I don't think I'd ever seen a medic-nin use this ... who is this girl? _He wondered, intrigued and interested.

Sakura winced a little as she forced most of her chakra around her patient, sweat sliding down her face. The _Chakra Distribution Jutsu _wasn't something she used very often, in fact she had just recently figured out how to do it. The chakra control part was easy enough, it was what she excelled at ... but the large amount of chakra it drained from her wasn't nearly as pleasant. _I thought I'd end up using it for the war, but ... I guess now's as good a time as any. _She thought, feeling a bit hollow inside as she was reminded of her home and the Fourth Great Ninja War she still hadn't returned to.

Eventually, once she felt the warm chakra seeming to spread, Sakura withdrew her hands. Instantly, tiredness and exhaustion assaulted her, some of her strength actually leaving her body. "Heh ... I did." She panted out, quite proud of herself as she ascertained her chakra covering Shinosuke's entire being. _For my first time actually doing it as a healing procedure, it turned out okay. _She noted in her thoughts, despite feeling physically numb.

"What did you ... ?" Sakumo asked out loud, still not sure what to make of this.

"_Chakra Distribtion Jutsu. _I made it myself." The medic-nin breathed, smiling at her success. "It constantly stabilizes the patient when a medic, for whatever reason, can't be around to heal. It also increases the chances of shinobi living in a war or other dangerous combat situations. It's a much-needed jutsu for ninja." Sakura informed him professionally. "It won't last very long. I haven't perfected it yet, but that's why completely. My chakra was already lowering when I was healing, so it'll probably last five minutes at most." She added, returning to her former seriousness.

Sakumo stared at her, a new light of respect for the pink-haired medical ninja awaking in his his black orbs. "Impressive." He couldn't stop himself from noting, nodding his head at her. "Right. It won't be long, I'll get him there immediately. Like I said before, I'm fast." The silver-haired shinobi promised her. He wasted no time in lifting up Shinosuke, not even flinching as Sakura's chakra made contact with him (which thankfully, did not hurt or sting him in any way, much to her relief). Gracefully, with the wounded ninja's lip arm slung across his shoulders, Sakumo easily bared his weight and disappeared in a flash.

Sakura stood up and gazed in the direction he had retreated towards where the hospital was, a worried frown etched on her pale face. _I couldn't stop the bleeding completely before and his breathing still wasn't good ... but at least my chakra will prevent him for getting in even _worse _shape. Hopefully, that ninja gets him there in time. _She thought, feeling unbelievably anxious despite herself. It still seemed like a worse case scenario to her, and that _scared _her. _Plus half my chakra's drained ... I used some when I was going full-force on my healing and the Chakra Distribution Jutsu drained the rest. I really need to work on perfecting it so this doesn't happen too often. _Sakura mentally checked, hating the fatigue she had no brought on herself. Her headache from the Yamanka's Mind Jutsu was nothing compared to this.

Snapping herself out of her introspective reflection, she moved her head to look at the crowd that still hadn't dissipated yet. Much to Sakura's shock, many of them were staring at her, their questioning eyes shining either shining their confusion or ... awe?

"How did you learn how to do that?! I don't think even Lady Tsunade knows such a jutsu." A female shinobi pointed out, almost at a loss for words.

At the mention of her master, Sakura's eyes slightly narrowed, looking at them sternly. "Don't ask stupid questions like that. There are more important things to talk about." She responded bluntly, not really feeling the desire to discuss her jutsu. _She's right though ... Lady Tsunade doesn't know how to do that at all. I just started training and researching to extend my healing abilities ... so in case I was in a situation to either heal or fight, I could chose fighting. Actually have an option instead of just healing. _She thought privately, recalling her earlier frustration that actually physically fighting would be a last resort, according to Tsunade's three rules for being a medical ninja.

She knew all three of them by heart, but the first one always bothered her (And the third one to a lesser extent. How Tsunade was an exception to the first two. The realistic side of her understood it because her master had her amazing regeneration abilities, but her petty and competitive side couldn't help but find it annoying). While Sakura find healing absolutely important and crucial to her team and others, the other part of her hated not fighting. _Especially when it comes to Naruto ... he's so reckless, it's hard to not try and fight with him. I want to support him in any way I can, not just through medical ninjutsu. _Sakura thought, realizing that was also what motivated her to create the jutsu. Her wish to be there for her Naruto and her own personal drive. She was a healer, but a fighter too!

"Really, how did you-" Someone else tried to press her, only serving to irritate Sakura even more strongly. She was _not _in a good or even patient mood now, she was grumpy and tired.

"Shut up, already! Shannaro!" Sakura growled sharply, hating all these unneccessary questions. "One of our ninja is in critical condition and need medical stabilization. That is _far _more important than interrogating me over how I know how to do what I do." She pointed out abruptly. Sakura would be lying to herself if she said she had forgiven these people for hesitating over assisting a fatally injured fellow Konoha ninja. In actuality, she was still quite pissed off over it.

A sudden scoff escaped the lips of another one of the shinobi gathered around her, staring at her incredulously. His long, spiky sandy hair flowed over his shoulders, his black eyes screaming insolence. "_Our? _You're not a ninja of the Hidden Leaf. You're just some unknown foreigner her who doesn't know anything about us." He pointed towards her red head-band. "You shouldn't even be wearing that head-band."

Stung by his scathing tone, the pink-haired girl felt shocked and once again somewhat pained. _Damn ... I said "our" when I was talking. I need to be more careful in what I say. _She realized, not even bringing herself to deny that she had to go along with this. It was torture for her to constantly be told she was an outsider, not a true Konoha ninja, and to feel like an outcast. It was so false yet truthful at the same time. _Naruto ... is this how you really felt back when we were younger? How could you bear it? _Sakura couldn't help thinking, feeling even more guilty that she was one of those who had supported that loneliness. Ever since she got thrown into the past, she lost count of how many times she had wondered about all the suffering her best friend had gone through during his childhood.

"Still ... I have a point." Sakura replied quietly, covering up the some of the sadness she had felt moments before. Schooling her features into a strict and commanding expression, she raised her voice a little. "We need to find Lady Tsunade right away. Is she still in the village?" She prompted, wanting her master to help her with Shinosuke and his injuries.

"I have no idea." A civilian informed the pink-haired girl. "Jiraiya and Orochimaru might be, they'll possibly know where she is." She added, innocently unaware of the tumultuous emotions the second name created in Sakura.

_Orochimaru?! He's still ... of course! He didn't betray the Third Hokage and leave the village as a rogue ninja. That's a little over ten years from now. _Sakura thought in her head, unable to subdue the disgust and repugnance even the _mention _of the Snake Sanin had stirred in her. Forcing herself to control her fury and keep her voice level, she gritted out "_Not _Orochimaru. I'm sure he's busy. Just look for Lady Tsunade first and then if you don't find her, get Master Jiraiya. He probably knows." She ordered, realizing how forced her voice sounded when she mentioned Orochimaru. The medic-nin couldn't help it. Orochimaru was one of the people she hated the most, after all the suffering he had inflicted on Naruto and the changes he created in Sasuke. Sakura would truly not miss him ... ever.

The supressed anger in the her voice did not go unnoticed by the people around her, but one of the shinobi nonetheless complied. "Don't worry. I go and find her." He promised her, before quickly disappearing himself like Takahiro.

Eventually, her crowd dispersed after the orders she had given were followed, mostly without complaint. Sakura was relieved at the seemingly success she had made of her predicament, sighing loudly. _Thank goodness that's sorted out. I can go to the Konoha hospital to check on Shinosuke. I hope that silver-haired guy got him there already. I really need to get there and help! My manual medical ninjutsu won't last forever. _The pink-haired medic-nin thought, her fears and anxieties over Shinosuke once again returning to the forefront of her mind. Ignoring her exhaustion and fatigue as best possible, she dashed towards the hospital.

* * *

~~Sakura cont.~~

Sakura stared in front of the Konoha hospital, the dread and sinking feeling in her heart still not having gone away. _Those wounds ... I really hope Lady Tsunade's in there. I'm already low on chakra, I need her help on this one. _She thought, not stopping herself from feeling concerned. She just wish she could know what had happened to that poor ninja. Sakura was fully aware she worried way too much over a lot things, especially something like this. The medical ninja really hated that flaw of herself sometimes.

Shaking her head to clear her disquieting turmoil, Sakura's tired emerald gaze changed into her hallmark conviction. Now wasn't the time for worrying, it was the time for action. Pushing all of her doubts to the back of her mind, she strided up to the doors and stepped inside the building, bracing herself for what she would undoubtably go through once she got there.

The pink-haired girl immediately noticed how empty the place seemed, almost no one except one or two ninjas were in need of treatment. Finally, her eyes spotted the ninjas she had ordered to help her earlier: the black-haired guy, Takahiro and the tall silver-haired one she still hadn't learned the name of. Recognizing them, she walked up to them right away.

Both Sakumo and Takahiro noticed her, directing their full attention to Sakura as soon as they caught sight of her. Before she could question them, Takahiro beat her to it.

"Shinosuke's inside with a lot of other medics treating him. The Third Hokage knows about it, he's with them." Takahiro informed her curtly, his gray gaze most troubled despite his calm manner of speaking.

"What about Lady Tsunade? Did you find her? Is she helping?" She probed in a frenzied rush, uncaring if some of her franticness was spilling in her voice. Sakura was a very skilled medical ninja and she didn't often really _need _her teacher's help anymore, but this ... without Tsunade, it truly w_as _leaning towards a worse case scenerio. _It's times like this when I wish I have Naruto's massive chakra reserves ... that would _definitely _come in handy. _She noted in her head, truly wishing she had that advantage at a time like this.

The silver-haired ninja answered her this time instead. "Yeah, we found Lady Tsunade. She's in the intensive care division with the other medical ninjas. Hopefully, he'll be in good hands." Sakumo replied, sounding reassuring.

Sakura breathed out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Thank goodness." She exclaimed, feeling her crushing anxiety be alleviated somewhat. _Still ... he's not in the clear yet. _The pink-haired girl thought seriously. "Thanks. Which room is he in in the intensive care unit?" She prompted, her instinct screaming at Sakura to go and help the other medic-nins heal.

Both of her fellow ninja looked taken aback at her straightforward request. They had could _clearly _the lines of fatigue and exhaustion in her face that the stubborn girl was desperately trying to hide. Nevertheless, Takahiro and Sakumo complied and told her the room number that had seen Shinosuke disappear in.

Instantly, Sakura paced to the room as quick as possible, not even bothering to thank them in her urgent need to find Shinosuke and check the condition he was in. _I hope he's okay ... I don't want one of my patients to end up dying because of me! _She thought innerly, having difficulty not blaming herself if the worse case actually happened.

Finding the room without little effort (she knew the Konoha Hospital almost as well as she knew her own home back in the future), Sakura pushed the door open and stepped inside the large medical room.

The scene that greeted her wasn't exactly what you would call "pleasant". The wide expanse of the interior was _filled _with several people, most of which were in the middle around a platform. Looking closely, Sakura saw the matted and uneven spiky head of the severely wounded ninja, Shinosuke. At least eight or nine were gathered around his limp self, all the medical ninja's chakra flowing erratically over him. As the silver-haired shinobi had told her, the pink-haired caught sight of her master's pale, long blonde hair. It came as no shock to her that Tsunade was the one putting the most effort into it, barking orders and commands to her other fellow medical ninjas.

On to the side, three people stood watching the chaotic display. The Hokage looked painstakingly serious, a slight trace of confusion in his face. However, what shocked her the most were the two _other _people who were also there with him. Jiraiya was also with them, staring with his arms crossed. His coal-black orbs were unreadable, particularly fixed on Tsunade. And the unexpected thing of all to Sakura ... was the spiky mop of blonde hair that stood at Jiraiya's side. It was none other than Minato, the last person she thought would be here. However, unlike the two adult's more calm and almost indecipherable expression, the young jonin was much more expressive. He looked overly concerned and worried, his bright blue gaze shining aprehensively.

"Sakura, you're here." Sarutobi took notice of, nodding at her. Minato also acknowledged her presence the same, though didn't say anything else. Jiraiya's attention was still on the medical ninjas.

"Shinosuke's under some careful guidance, but ... we're doing the best we can. It's not ... exactly promising so far." He told her reluctantly, looking somewhat upset at this development.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror, her panic increasing tenfold. Instantly, she turned her head and moved to help the others heal Shinosuke. Bringing herself right next to Tsunade, she forced out her chakra into her palm, focusing her attention to him. "Lemme help!" She told them all, completely disregarding her tiredness and low chakra.

Tsunade didn't even look at her, her beautiful face showing an increasing amount of frustration and anger each passing minute the patient continued to not improve. "Whatever! Just make yourself useful!" She snapped impatiently, trying to cover up her inner fear over Shinosuke possibly losing his life.

Glad her master hadn't turned down her offer, Sakura did as she said she would, trying to pour the remaining of her chakra to this man's terrible wounds. However, it took no time out all for her chakra to begin to wear thin. _D__ammit! My chakra's ... _She thought, unbelievably stressed and disheartened as she realized how little she could actually help. That jutsu she had used earlier had wiped out so much ...

The blonde next to her noticed Sakura's low amount of medical ninjutsu for the healing, causing Tsunade to give her a sidelong glance, her amber eyes flashing a warning. "I can already see you're low on chakra. Quit trying to use your medical ninjutsu, you can't drain all of it for this!" She reprimanded the younger medic-nin, concerned about the risks she was taking. "It's no help to us at all, it's a liability!" The blonde-haired woman added more harshly, still feeling angry over everything.

Even as she was speaking, Sakura shook her head fervently. _No way! I can't leave him like this ... I'll help him even if it costs me my life! _She promised herself, not even allowing herself to _think _about getting out of this. "No, I'm not! Shinosuke needs as many medical ninjas as possible, I can't sit by and do nothing!" The pink-haired girl argued determinedly.

Seeing Sakura's stubbornness, this made Tsunade even more furious. "Are you an _idiot? _Stop trying to-" She began, only for her thoughts to immediately halt in its tracks as she detected the deathly sign of no pulse. _Oh no! He's stopped breathing! _Tsunade realized, greatly disturbed and horrified. Ignoring the pink-haired girl again, she pushed even more strongly her chakra, desperately trying to bring his pulse back to life.

Right after Tsunade, Sakura noticed it too. _No, this isn't good! I have to save him! _She thought frantically. "No ..." She whispered, utterly desperate now. Increasing the remaining chakra was well, she put all of her strength into it, refusing to give up. The other medics who were also helping made shocked cries and sounds as they soon caught on, everyone doing the same as Tsunade and Sakura.

Jiraiya closed his eyes, seeming genuinely remorseful and pained by this sad turn. "It's as I thought ... even with Tsunade, Shinosuke wouldn't of stood a chance. It was already too late." He noted, making sure to keep his voice low so that the others, especially Tsunade, didn't hear him.

Sarutobi nodded his head in agreement, just as sad and upset by it. "You're right, Jiraiya. I expected it myself." He admitted, disappointed. Hiruzen's heart was heavy when he remembered that he had searched for him just this mission; at the time his disappearance had only seemed mildly disconcerting, yet it had turned out _much _worse. _Who did this, I wonder? Whoever it was ... they will pay for taking another one of our ninja. _The Third Hokage thought, promising himself that he would carry out that threat.

"Don't say nonsense like that, Jiraiya-sensei." Minato scolded, actually looking angry. "It's far too early to give up. With medical ninjas as skilled as Sakura and Tsunade-sensei, Shinosuke-sensei might be able to be saved." He elaborated hopefully, but truthfully, he knew the odds were against were already overwhelmingly high. Grief and worry swamped Minato even as he said it, remembering full well Kushina's connection to him. He was like a father to her. But that wasn't all. Shinosuke was a kind-hearted and brave ninja, Minato quite liked him and his generous nature. That did nothing to cease his already monumental ill spirit. _Kushina ... how is anyone supposed to break this to you? _The blonde thought thoughtfully, utterly desolate and disheartened.

Jiraiya almost laughed at the irony of his student's words. _Heh. Since when are an eternal optimist, Minato? _He thought dryly in his head. Minato was usually very logical and level-headed, he didn't often fall into blind faith or optimism. But Jiraiya was not dumb, he knew his student well enough to know what brought it on. It was Kushina. She was extremely close to the medical ninja, it wouldn't be easy to accept his passing for either of them. Minato naturally cared about others and it would be even harder to face that truth with his constant consideration for the red-head's feelings.

As that discussion between the three took place, Sakura and Tsunade, along with the others, continued to heal him for several minutes longer. Guilt and desperation drove the pink-haired girl on, despite her chakra now almost nonexistent. _No ... he can't! He can't die! _Sakura thought in her head, unable to accept the still lifeless pulse of Shinosuke.

Unfortunately, they're was still no change for Shinosuke and his breathing halted permanently. Tsunade's amber eyes looked anguished and disappointed, finally stopping her healing chakra from coming. "It's too late ... He's dead." She claimed to them levely, despite not looking anywhere _near _casual. At her blunt call, the rest of the medical ninjas did the same, each one of them bearing almost identical expressions of either guilt, grief, or failure.

Defeat and hopelessness crashed Sakura, she too finally halting her chakra flow (which wasn't much at all; she had almost no chakra left in her to sustain the healing). Her emerald-green eyes were two vacant pools of distress, emotionally numb at someone in her care dying. _Lady Tsunade always told me you can't save everyone, even as a medical ninja ... I _know _that. I always have, but ... ! How can I deal with this? It's my fault. I should've tried harder to save him or gotten here quicker. I failed. _She thought, depressed and lost. Sakura felt a tear rise behind her eye as the crushing stigma hadn't faltered, but quickly used her hand to wipe it off. Crying like the crybaby she always thought she was wouldn't make her feel any better.

Tsunade's head was down, trying to will away her sense of failure and shame that tinged the surface of her emotions. Death was part of being a ninja. Tsunade knew this and accepted it a very long time ago, ever since the death of her little brother Nawaki. Even _thinking _over his demise made her grief and heart-break of that life-changing moment return full-force. But still ... she could never shake the responsiblity she always felt when such a occurance actually happened.

Jiraiya noticed this, his dark eyes watching Tsunade with overwhelming pity and concern. He walked over to the woman he loved, gently putting his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. The blonde-haired Sanin made a shocked sound at the sudden touch, and raised her head to notice the sympathetic face of her friend.

"Tsunade ..." He began seriously, staring at her. "It wasn't your fault that this happened. It was out of your control." Jiraiya told her, trying to reassuring her. "You gave your all to save Shinosuke and that's what matters. Even you can't save everyone." He continued on gently.

She still looked somewhat shocked at Jiraiya's sincere words, touched in spite of herself. However, she looked away from him and in another direction, trying to cover up her sadness. "Hah. I'm not some little girl, Jiraiya. This isn't the first time someone in my care died." Tsunaded reminded him dismissively, not wanting Jiraiya to know how she was feeling.

Jiraiya said nothing and took his hand off her shoulder, not deciding to press her any further. _Always putting up that tough front, Tsunade ... you think I haven't realized by now when you're trying to hide how you feel? _He thought, feeling both sad and fond of that trait of his teammate. She was definitely one of the strongest people he's ever known, both mentally and physically. _The ironic thing is you probably how no idea how well I know you ... Tsunade. _He thought, almost finding it funny.

Sakura walked up to Minato and Third Hokage, not even bothering to hide how horrible she knew for a fact she looked. Raising her sad green gaze to the Hokage, she said dully. "I'm sorry ... I tried. We _all _tried."

Hiruzen sighed. "It isn't your fault or anyone else here, Sakura. There's no point beating yourself up over it." He responded sagely, trying to make her feel a little better. "Sometimes things like this happen and it can't be helped." The Third Hokage continued calmly.

Sakura was glad for his words, but it didn't truly make her feel any better. She couldn't help wondering if she was to blame for this. Sakura couldn't help it, the responsibility and failure that still hung over her like a dark, unrelenting storm cloud above her head. _There had to be something I could've done better ... anything that might have helped him live a little longer. The Chakra Distribution Jutsu wasn't enough. _The pink-haired girl reflecting, unable to stop beating herself up. Sakura just couldn't truly come to terms with it and not blame herself.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault, Sakura. You did the best you could, even with your low chakra." Minato tried to encourage her, but his expression didn't match his words. Though he didn't blame her, he was still terribly distressed. He looked to side a little, conflict battling in his blue gaze. "I just don't know how to break this to Kushina. He was like a father to her, after all." The blonde added, feeling even more anguished and sad by dealing with that inevitable face-off. Kushina had too much on her shoulders, telling her something like _this _would only make it worse.

Sakura's eyes widened in unadulterated shock. "What did you just say? Shinosuke was like a _father _to her!?" She inquired, desperately not wanting to believe it was true. She had not only failed Shinosuke and herself, she failed Kushina too! _No ... how could I let this happen? Shinosuke's dead and Kushina would be heart-broken. It's all my fault! _She thought, even more horrified and guilty at what she had just heard.

"Yes. Kushina had an extremely close relationship with him." Third Hokage confirmed for her, sounding remorseful. "It won't be easy for her to accept this, but unfortunately, she'll have to."

And with her worst fears confirmed, Sakura gaze fell to the ground, feeling even more terrible. Kushina didn't deserve the loss of her father-figure and yet, she had been unable to stop it. _This is so awful ... why couldn't I have saved him? _She lamented, not even able to describe how low she felt in words.

* * *

~~Kushina~~

The red-head walked casually in direction of the Konoha hospital, her steps normal and average. When she had first set out, Sakura hadn't been home. That surprised Kushina, since the pink-haired girl _rarely _actually went anywhere. Price of not actually belonging in this time, after all. Naturally, Kushina had assumed that she was at the Hokage's office, the only other place she actually went to for whatever reason she had. However, before the kunoichi had even journeyed halfway to her destination, she had halted in her tracks.

A lot of people were whispering about a strange pink-haired girl treating a ninja. Some were impressed when the mentioned her, others distrusting and callous. Seeing how Kushina had known no other person who fell under the category of "strange pink-haired girl" (Seriously, she was actually convinced that the medic-nin's hair color was _far _more weirder and odd than hers. And that was saying something indeed), Kushina had surmised that it was Sakura they were talking about. Eventually, the idle conversation drifted into her taking that ninja towards the hospital. So she had veered direction and taken the path to the hospital.

"So, Sakura's at the hospital. It's like she _lives _there or something." Kushina said out loud, not meaning any offense by it. "Well, she's a medical ninja. That's why." She added, still not understanding for the life of her how the pink-haired girl who could spend time in any hospital with ease. It smelled bad and was always crowded. She certainly hated the place more than most other places, even giving it the nickname _hell hole. That's Sakura for you. I don't think I'll ever understand that about her. _She thought, positively sure of it.

Through her scrambled and frankly random musings, she finally reached the Konoha hospital. _Great, now I probably have to go inside. Damn you, Sakura. _She grumbled in her head, but she wasn't truly annoyed. After all, from what the others were saying, the girl was healing someone. That was a lot more important then any petty dislike she actually had for the place.

However, much to her relief, she saw Sakura walking out of the hospital. However, that relief melted into frustration and childish dread as she caught sight of the sunny spikes of hair next to her. Minato's _with her! Are you kidding me? He's exactly what I've been trying to avoid today. This won't help me at all! _Kushina thought in dismay, forcefully reminded again of the inevitable conversation that she was fated to have with her best friend when she still didn't know how to figure her own feelings out.

Hoping they hadn't seen her, the red-head turned around and tried to walk about the other way. However, it was not meant to be. "Kushina!" A voice called to her, none other than Minato's voice.

Kushina gritted her teeth in comical fury, thinking, not for the first time, how terrible her luck actually was. _I can't get out of this now! I'll look like a bitch! _She thought, forcing herself to turn back the other way and look to her friends. Trying to plaster a wide and happy grin on her face, she waved to them. "H-Hey, Minato! Nice to see you again, -dattebane! What's up?" Kushina told him casually, almost wincing at how extreme her cheerfulness in those words actually were. They definitely didn't seem natural.

Minato and Sakura walked up to her, not even seeming phased by her pleasant words or her forced eagerness. On normal circumstances, Sakura would have probably likened that over-the-top cheerfulness to Naruto, but she was way too ill-spirited to do that. Finally, Kushina noticed how unhappy and gloomy both her friends looked.

"Hey. What's wrong? Did something happen?" The red-headed questioned them, confused. _What's up with the serious faces? Does it have something to do with that person Sakura was treating? _Kushina wondered, picking up on it quickly.

Sakura and Minato glanced at each other sadly, not sure which one of them was going to break it to Kushina. It wouldn't matter, it'd still be as hard on all of them either way.

"Um ... yeah, Kushina. Something did happen." Sakura confirmed for her, her heart heavy. "Well, it's not ... " She began awkwardly, struggling to share the tragic news straight out. _Things like this are never easy ... _She thought, her dismal turbulence swamping her again, along with the guilt. "It's not good news, Kushina." The medical ninja forced out, sad.

The red-headed girl stared at her, still at a loss. "What is it?" She continued her inspecting, not completely understanding why the pink-haired girl was being so evasive. More importantly, she was even _more _confused when she again noticed the negative emotions in both Minato and Sakura's gazes. They held sympathy, sorrow, and in Sakura's case, regret. Getting impatient in her realization that they were still withholding information from her, Kushina tried again. "What's going on? Seriously ... why are you two so depressed?"

Minato looked down somewhat, closing his eyes. "It's ... Shinosuke, Kushina." He finally dropped the bomb, raising his eyes to her as he continued. "He's dead." Minato revealed seriously. "He was ambushed by unknown ninjas, but there was little we could do to save him." The blonde gazed at her, clearly unhappy and distraught that his red-headed love had to hear such a thing, especially from him.

Instantly, Kushina's navy-blue eyes stretched wide in stunned disbelief, struck dumb with her friend's words. _Shinosuke ... dead? _She questioned in her head. It echoed erratically in her mind over and over, each time seeming more and more impossible than the last. It was then her thoughts froze altogether, hardly able to think at all. Her shock was beginning to manifest itself more and more into heartbreak and unbearable anguish.

Sakura stared at her friend, the guilt and empathy returning even more strongly as she observed Kushina's frozen expression. "I'm sorry, Kushina." She apologized immediately, self-loathing creeping into back into again. Her gaze veered downward as she spoke her next words. "I tried to heal him ... I used up almost all of my chakra. But ... it didn't work. Not even Lady Tsunade or the medics could help him." The pink-haired girl explained to her glumly.

The red-headed kunoichi in front of her said nothing at all for a while. As the terrible words began to fully sink into her, Kushina closed her eyes and stared at the ground. Her expression was unreadable and her small fists were clenched tightly at her sides. "You're lying." She said quietly, almost deathly, soft. Afterwards, Kushina lifted her head and fixed Sakura with a fiery dark glare, anger and agony obvious in their orbs. "You're lying, -dattebane!"

Sakura looked startled at the fury in the girl's face, not finding herself to have the strength to say anything back. She knew full-well that she was hurting, anyone could see it. _You have no idea how much I wish I was wrong, Kushina. _She thought silently, her guilt and unhappiness again beginning bring itself to the forefront.

"Shinosuke's a medical ninja! He doesn't just die like that, -dattebane!" Kushina argued furiously, moving her right arm outstretched from her side in a fast motion. "He can heal himself. Medics aren't supposed to give up and die that easily, -dattebane!" The red-headed girl reasoned irrationally, her anger trying to push down the heartache and suffering she was currently feeling.

"Kushina ..." Minato said, trailing off as he saw her in so much pain. He never wanted this for her, he wanted her happy and cheerful. But _this ... _rarely anything ever got to her or fazed her, at least not anything she'd let show. And that was what made this even more difficult for him to watch.

Her angry eyes moved looked away at them, her fists again returning to its previous position by her side. "I-It just doesn't ... this isn't supposed to happen, -dattebane!" She carried on, trying to stop herself from believing that one of the few people who had ever actually cared for her ... was gone. But deep down, she knew it was true. Shinosuke was dead; Kushina just couldn't bring herself to accept it.

"I'm sorry ..." Sakura reiterated, utterly heart-broken. She knew there wasn't anything she could to make the red-headed girl feel any better. It was something she would just have to accept on her own. Truthfully, that killed her more than anything else at this point.

At the sound of the medic's apology, Kushina turned on her. "It's all your fault that this happened, -dattebane!" She accused harshly, cutting Sakura to the core. "If you had tried harder, Shinosuke would still be around. Everything's _always _your fault, -dattebane! You never do anything right." She blamed her, too angry and stricken to truly care whether she was being too harsh on her.

Nonetheless, Sakura bore an expression of pain, visibly shocked and hurt at her words. However, it took less than a second for her to take those words to heart. _'I never do anything right', huh? Kushina ... you're right. I can't even count the number of failures and mistakes I've made. With Naruto, with Sasuke-kun, with _you _... even with myself! It doesn't matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, I end up screwing up. Just like I did with Shinosuke. _She thought dejectedly in her head, once again putting herself down. The constant guilt and unworthiness had eaten away at her for such a long time, it now came as almost second nature to her.

"Kushina ... !" Minato responded, his voice sharp and annoyed. He knew how much pain Kushina was in, better than anyone, in fact. However, it did not give her the right to punish Sakura for something that she wouldn't have been able to change. Minato had seen before his very eyes how hard the pink-haired medical ninja had tried to save Shinosuke, even when she was almost empty on chakra. Condemning the girl after putting her heart and soul into keeping Shinosuke alive was cruel and didn't sit well with Minato at all, despite how much he loved Kushina.

The red-headed Uzumaki felt tears finally beginning to burst from her eyes, her grief and emotional instability finally catching up with her tear ducts. Refusing to cry in front of them, she turned and dashed the other way, her tears now falling freely behind her. Kushina didn't care where she was going or where her limbs would take her. She only knew she had to get away, away from the people who would dare to tell her such earth-shattering news as this. _I can't accept it! I won't! _She managed to think through her tears, truly not knowing anymore if she was sobbing out of rage or misery. All she knew now was that Shinosuke was supposedly dead, making her heart ache in ways she hadn't thought possible.

* * *

~~Sakura~~

Sakura gazed after the direction she disappeared, pity and sympathy once again overwhelming her. She wished so badly she could help Kushina feel better. It wasn't easy to see the normally fiery and optimistic kunoichi so upset and distraught over such a tragedy. Losing someone you cared about was never easy, that much she knew.

Minato was also staring after where Kushina disappeared, his brief display of anger now having gone. Instead, he looked torn and miserable himself. He sighed his exhaustion, suddenly feeling as if this whole endeavor had lasted a week, not a day. He turned his head to Sakura, serious and apologetic. "I'm sorry that Kushina had to say that to you. I know she didn't mean it ... she's just hurting." He explained to her, not wanting the pink-haired girl hold anything against her. He was sure the red-head would undoubtedly regret her bitter words later.

She shook her head. "It's okay, Minato. I already forgive her." Sakura promised him sincerely. "She's under a lot of emotional stress right now ... it wouldn't be fair of me to blame her, given the circumstances." She reasoned logically, nonetheless still feeling stung and useless by Kushina's cruel remarks. She probably had no idea how easily that had prayed on her insecurities, not that she would ever tell her. Sakura had no intention of the red-head feeling guilty over it enough than she already would be.

Minato seemed doubtful. "Still, it wasn't right of Kushina to put you down like that, no matter how much pain she's in." He pointed out calmly. "You and I both know how hard you tried to save him. She hasn't acknowledged your efforts yet." The blonde-haired jonin admitted to her, a little disappointed. "But she will. I'm sure of it." Minato added reassuring, forcing a small smile.

"Thanks." The medical ninja told him, trying to hide away the part of herself that actually felt Kushina's words to her were deserved. Sakura knew she was probably being too hard on herself, but she couldn't help thinking that way. Shinosuke never deserved to die and Kushina didn't deserve to go through this, either. _I blame myself too much on stuff, I know but ... I can't help wondering if I could've been able to done things better. _She thought sadly. Sakura was sure that for as long as she lived, her failure with Shinosuke would always be at the back of her mind, nagging at her that she could've saved him some other way.

The blonde-haired jonin once directed his bright blue gaze towards where Kushina had taken off, conflicting feelings battling inside of him. Part of him wanted to find Kushina and comfort her, hopefully preventing her from doing something stupid. However, some other part was holding back. Knowing her as well as he did, she probably won't want to see him or anyone now. Nor would she listen to words of reassurance or comfort. _It's better for me to just leave her be for a while, as much as I hate to do it. _Minato decided, disappointed in spite of himself. But, as always, Kushina's feelings came first and foremost.

"Kushina wants to be alone. And away from us, no doubt." He stated to Sakura, almost echoing his thoughts. "For now, let's just let her sort things out on her own. I hate seeing her in this much pain, but I don't want to pressure or anger her any further." Minato said genuinely, looking at the pink-haired girl standing next to him for her agreement.

She exhaled a little. "_Yes. _Bothering Kushina now would be the last thing I'd do right now. She's already mad at me enough." Sakura agreed, emotionally drained of it all. This day had seemed so, so much longer after everything she had been through.

Minato nodded. "I'll talk to her soon over it. Not tonight, but tomorrow or the day after." He decided firmly. "Alone time is good, but she can't be completely isolated." The blonde added, looking concerned.

Sakura agreed, satisfied with his decision. She really wanted to talk to the red-head herself and try to make feel a bit better over everything. However, logically, she could see talking to Minato alone would be the more effective and overall better option. They were closer and knew each other much better than they knew Sakura. _Besides, Kushina obviously loves him and he loves her so that definitely makes things a little more easier. _She deduced in her head, still completely convinced that there was something between those two.

"Well, it's getting late. I better get home." Minato noted, seeing the sun sinking on the horizon. He turned his attention to Sakura again, saying. "Good bye, Sakura. We'll deal with Kushina later." He promised matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, we will." She conceded, liking that plan. Truthfully, not only did she think seeing Kushina would be a bad idea, she herself wasn't ready to face her. Sakura still felt extremely bad and emotionally drained over everything, it was hard to prepare herself for another emotional rollercoaster.

Bidding their farewells, Minato and Sakura went off in the opposite directions to their homes. While she was walking towards her makeshift apartment, all Sakura desperately wanted was to lay down in her bed and rest for a week. Her chakra was so utterly depleted, her body felt completely deadweight. Even when she walked, she didn't really feel like she was walking. The whole day had turned into total hell for her the minute Shinosuke had fallen into her lap, bleeding heavily and barely breathing. She sighed again, really beginning to question if this was _really _her life.

"Tired, are you?" A deep voice spoke up out of nowhere, jerking Sakura up to full wakefulness.

She halted and swiveled her head to look at whoever it was that had spoken to her, emerald-green eyes suspicious and distrusting. She still remembered very clearly who it was when that last happened to her. Next to her, she realized a shadowed figure sat perched on a tree branch next to her. A ninja, obviously. That much she could tell. Squinting her eyes more clearly, Sakura was momentarily relieved that the person who had spoken was not Danzo. However, it was still not enough for her to remove her suspicions.

"Who is it? What do you want?" She asked immediately, her eyes narrowed.

"Danzo." The stranger said simply, tone cryptic. "We wants you to meet him at in two day's time at the place of Root." He elaborated calmly, showing no emotion at all.

Sakura felt surprise at his words. _A Root ninja, huh? Can't Danzo just leave me be and not be up my ass? _She thought, feeling anger and fury building inside her. After everything she had been though today, all the work she did, all the tragedy, all she wanted was to go home. But no, unfortunately for her, fate was not taking her too kindly today. What infuriated her even more was how this ninja dared to order her around like she was completely okay with his request. She had made it perfectly clear she was _not in _agreement on this!

"If you heard Danzo, then you already _know _my answer to that. I want absolutely nothing to do with him _or _his ninjas." Sakura said bluntly, a hint of anger slipping into her voice. "I'll find my way home by myself. I don't _need _any help."

Right after she said that, Sakura turned her back to him entirely and continued walking. She was sick of Danzo and his schemes. She was sick of him trying to meddle and manipulate her into doing something dark or terrible. She wanted to go home more than almost anything and she wouldn't give up. However, there was no way in hell she would agree to this. Danzo was a despicable, selfish person. That much she knew.

"Did you get our message with that medical ninja? The one you tried to save?" The Root nin questioned her casually, still seeming to have no emotion at all in his voice.

At those questions, Sakura immediately halted in her tracks. An expression of absolute shock and horror was written on her face, the horrendous implications that those words brought on, shaking her to her core. _No way ... don't tell me ... He died because ... _She couldn't even finish her train of thought, too horrified to do so.

"Y'mean you ... ! _Danzo _was the reason he died! He was the one who ... !" Sakura forced out, hardly able to believe her ears. Out of all the possible situations she had expected since she had found Shinosuke, this was the last thing that ever crossed her mind.

"Not him, members of Root carried it out for him." The ninja corrected. " It was for the sake of the village." He replied solemnly, still perching on the branch.

"_Sake?! _Are you joking?" She retorted incredulously, glaring at him in pure hatred. "It's because of bastards like you and Danzo that an innocent man _died _today. What kind of Konoha shinobi are you?" Sakura criticized fiercely, her fists clenching into fists. "And for _what? _What could make you-"

"The medical ninja was killed today so we could get you on our side. You are going to help Danzo with taking those Uchiha files, no matter what." He replied sternly. "If you have anyone to blame for this, it's yourself."

Sakura's expression faltered, realizing what he was trying to say. _I'm the reason ... ? It really was my fault that Shinosuke died? That Kushina is suffering! How did all of this turn so bad? _She thought in horror, becoming even more strongly consumed with penance and responsiblity than ever before. If she had never allowed herself to get beaten by Madara, if she had only figured out something more effective, she wouldn't be here. No one would have to suffer or die because of her foreign presence here. If only she had done something else!

Hiding how strongly that remark had effected her, she glared daggers at him again. "You're such an idiot. You're not making your case any better, y'know." Sakura retorted. "_Why _would I even consider helping scum like you when you and Danzo are the ones who killed Shinosuke? There is no way in _hell _I'm even going to consider it for a _second _now." She stated pointedly, adding "If I'm going to do _anything, _it'd be to report this to the Hokage. You made a big mistake telling me this!"

"You do realize they won't believe you for a second over Danzo's word, don't you?" The Root nin stated calmly. "You're considered an outsider and none of the advisors truly trust you. They value Danzo's opinion far more than the complaints of some little girl."

Suddenly, a fist punched the tree in a blind fury. Somehow, it broke the tree in half and fell to the ground, causing the Root shinobi to regain his balance again and land on his feet. The person who caused it was none other than Sakura (who, acting on pure rage, had just enough strength to snap the large tree in half), her emerald-green eyes fierce and unfaltering. "_Shut up. _I'm sick of hearing your mouth run." She told him menacingly, her voice filled with venom. "Third Hokage would believe me! That's all that matters."

The Root ninja remained unfazed, simply saying "The Hokage doesn't have absolute power. If the advisors resisted what you're saying and the Hokage was outnumbered, you wouldn't get your way. "

The pink-haired girl's fist was still clenched in a fist as she turned to look at him. "What says that'll happen?! You don't know." Sakura protested furiously, despite the small seed of doubt and despair that was beginning to make its way into her psyche. _What if he's right? What if that does actually happen? I don't know what I'd do then. _She thought doubtfully, hating that he was somewhat getting to her. "Besides, I can still refuse the offer. What sort of punishment could you give me? Danzo _needs _me to get the Uchiha secrets, right? I'm too important." She reasoned, still glaring at him.

"More and more people will die until you come along with us." He said emotionlessly. "Can you bear that burden of guilt on your shoulders?" He asked her calmly.

Furious now, Sakura once again tried to punch him, not even caring if she was low on chakra, blinded by anger. However, much to her shock, he disappeared. Almost as if he was never there in the first place. _What the-? A jutsu? _She thought, confused. The pink-haired girl was positive the Root Nin had indeed been there, she hadn't been hallucinating. His disappearance only served to piss her off even more.

"Damnit ... _bastard." _She cursed, impatient and shaking with rage. She clenched her fists at her sides again, trying desperately to relinquish her urge to punch something. She couldn't believe what she had gone through! After all the other trials and errors she dealt with all day, this had to top off her problems. And even more severe in the process.

However, it didn't take long for Sakura's anger to fade away. Instead, it was replaced with what her furiousness had tried to squash down: ultimate despair and loneliness. Danzo had manipulated and preyed on her just the right way. He had officially found all her available weaknesses: wanting to find a way home, guilt of Shinosuke, the _future _guilt of others who would be killed because of _her _stubbornness, and the very real possibility that the no one would believe her for telling them how responsible Danzo and his foundation of Root were for Shinosuke and possibly others. _I don't know what to do anymore ... everything's so challenging and complicated. I _can't _make this decision! Danzo ... he'll ruin me! Getting caught up with him and his twisted ambitions ... it'll only make everything worse! Maybe even hurt others but ... I _can't _have other people dying because of me. I won't be able to live with myself. It's too ... ! _She closed her eyes, frustrated.

Why did everything like this have to happen to her? Why can't Danzo just leave her alone? Sakura could come up with no answer to these questions other than her luck being the epitome of "horrendous". Ever since that mission, hell even during the Kage Summit, her luck continued to drop and her mistakes continued to pile one after the other. There was just no stopping it. Sakura almost wanted to cry at all of this pressure that was put on her shoulders, all at once.

She held her gaze to the ground, finally coming to terms with the problems she was faced with. Sakura couldn't ignore it or pretend it didn't exist, it'd only get worse from here. She had to do the best possible scenario, no matter if she liked it or if she didn't. Being a ninja was never easy ... it meant sacrifices. Sacrifices Sakura wouldn't push aside, no matter what happened.

* * *

~~Sakura~~

_*Two Days Later*_

Sakura stood in the cold, dark area of the Root Foundation, observing how few ninjas there were around. It surprised her slightly, as she had expected Danzo's top men to be here. But it's not like she genuinely cared all too much. All she felt about this place was disgust and harsh tactics that tried to expell emotion out of shinobi. Sai when he had first joined Team 7 came to mind, how he was before. So being here ... it was like the highest betrayal of herself. She didn't want to be here. Sakura wanted absolutely nothing to do with this dark place or the man running it. Yet ... here she was.

Her emotions were numb, dulled, and defective. Sakura could feel absolutely nothing but hatred, despair, and hopelessness. Hatred towards Danzo, hatred towards herself for being here, and the despair of what she had truly been reduced to. All because of Danzo and his wicked, selfish intentions. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to leave this place. She wanted too _so much. _But the pink-haired girl knew what she wanted was no longer an option. What Sakura was doing now had less to do with her own desire to go home, and more to do with sparing the other would-be lives Danzo would take. How she wanted to believe the shadowed ninja would never be cruel enough to kill anymore people but she knew; he would carry out his threat for sure. It was not a chance could take, no matter how repulsed and hollow she felt doing so.

Danzo ambled up to her, fixing her with his typical unemotional air. "Sakura ... I'm glad to see you've made the right choice. Now we have to make plans for our next move." He told her confidently.

Sakura stared at him briefly with a vacant, empty green gaze. After a pause, her gaze builded up into wrathful ferocity, pure rage and indignantion pulsing through her. The pink-haired girl growled lowly, "Talk."

* * *

**A/N: My longest chapter ever. O.O I'm NOT making a habit out of this, believe me. XD This chapter took way too long for me to write, it's not even funny. It was very time-consuming. I think I'll stick to 12,000 words being my limit from now on. :P Just so my fingers don't fall off from typing and none of you get eye cancer. Everybody wins. :D I will say, I'm extremely proud of this chapter. I loved how many events happened in and all the drama/angst. XD It's definitely my best so far, I think! ^.^**

**And yep .. I undid my MinaKushi troll. xD I really liked it. I think it's funny to see Kushina struggle so much with romance and hate how she now thinks about stuff like this, even though she's a total tomboy. And Minato ... I completely love him! :D He's so skilled with words and everything he explained to her when he told her he loved her was so beautiful. I also was really trying to aim for Minato coming off extremely confident in his love life. Unlike his future son, Naruto. I really hope that contrast was real easy to tell. :) And Kushina ... the tomboy get's so touched, she cries! :D It's possible now. :P Oh and when Kushina was chewing Minato out for being way too selfless and considerate of her feelings and others ... did anyone detect the NS parallel in that scene? :D If so, five golden stars for you. Only Minato would be able to be perfectly okay with waiting for an answer about Kushina's feelings for him. 3**

**Here comes the predicted drama now ... Sakura healing the crap out of Shinosuke and a lot of the people still initally distrusting her. And the completely unexpected cameo of Kakashi's father, Sakumo Hatake! XD It was also nice to see her display some of that leadership potential she showed in the Pain Arc, isn't it! :D And yes, I gave Sakura a new jutsu. A VERY useful one that Kishimoto somehow neglects to give her lately. I thought it would really help her as a medic-nin and give her more of an opportunity to fight. Hence the reference to Tsunade's 3 rules of being a medical ninja. I really don't think Sakura would easily stand by and not fight, so the rules would bother her. She'd want to help Naruto in any way possible, after all (The "We'll will be together!" line over fighting with Naruto supports it in 573). I found that perfectly in character. Sakura's headstrong like her master and her master doesn't like not fighting either. Damnnit, why the hell doesn't Kishimoto do this with her character?! T.T**

**As for the hospital scene, I couldn't resist writing it. Sakura was being her usual stupid/reckless self when it comes to saving other people's lives while she was low on chakra and Tsunade was yelling at her for it because she cares. But Sakura's too stubborn! ;) I'm kinda sad I made Shinosuke die, but I enjoyed working at the angle of both Sakura and Tsunade's shared failure over it. Sakura because people don't usually die in her care, but Tsunade was more used to it. The JiraTsu moment! T.T I had to, I'm sorry. I really like that couple and I think too easily people forget that Jiraiya's type of love was a selfless one for Tsunade, even though he was pervert. Naruto's love for Sakura is selfless the same way, but we know that. xD **

**The Kushina entry when she realized Shinosuke passed on. Boy was that angsty T.T (and the angst isn't even finished yet obviously). I was seriously thinking after I wrote that ... "Wow! This is a total parallel to when Naruto found out Jiraiya died. It even got the 'blame the nearest person' part in it." xD Sad scene is sad. T.T Poor Kushina, she goes through a lot. :(**

**And the big game-changer ... Sakura finally going to Danzo. I worried about me not doing that realistic enough. We all know Sakura would NEVER go to Danzo like that unless it was under extreme cirumstances. So I had to write it particularly challenging and difficult to the point she would have no choice but to go to him. She would never go to him because of her own selfish reasons, so bringing out people was the only way to do it. Threaten them and Sakura would go along with it, because she's a nice and selfless person like that. I really left this chapter on a depressing ending. O.o I actually surprised myself with that one. The title "Fallen Cherry Blossom" kinda pays homage to that. ;)**

_**Reviews are immensely appreciated! :D I never get tired of reading them all!**_


	15. Chapter 15: Always There

**A/N: **Hello to everyone who reads this! :) I finally had time to write after _so _many weeks. xD I'm sure a lot of you are glad, I kept you waiting way too long. And wow, did so many people review Ch. 14 when I released it. O.o That was a pleasant surprise for sure, almost too surprising. And I know it was very controversial and many of you had extreme reactions: You either completely loved it and how it was done or you completely hated it and are afraid of what direction the story is going. Am I not wrong? xD Well, let me explain a bit more in-depth about why this fanfiction was so heavily depressing and angsty last chapter, to those of you who were displeased with it.

Sakura is my #2 favorite character in the actual manga. Naturally, I do not enjoy inflicting such angst and pain on her as a whole, even though this is a fanfiction. However, I have a very good reason for it and that reason overrided my dismay in creating such a black hole of hopelessness for her. See, in the manga, Kishimoto is famous for neglecting her and giving her an actual spotlight, not like her teammates. It's something we're all aware of, whether we like Sakura or not. Her potential to prove herself and grow past emotional or romantic development fails to be executed, something I've consistently criticized Kishimoto of. This is one of the many reasons for my fanfiction. She's alone, Sakura has to figure out things on her own. Her bravery and growth is being put the test in this seemingly hopeless situation, in a way that it hasn't before. Not even the Kage Summit and Sakura's confession to Naruto can be seen as enough, considering she failed miserably and again had to leave it all up to Sasuke and Naruto. Kishimoto sidelined her ... _again. -_-_

Did any of you figure out why Naruto isn't involved in Sakura's travel to the past despite this being eventual NaruSaku? It's because the way his character is written prohibits Sakura to use her full potential. Sounds weird, considering Sakura's relationship with him is such a massive boast on her emotional development, but it's very much true. It's something I've noticed in the manga. Naruto has a tendency to put absolutely everyone's burdens and challenges on _himself_ because of his innate selflessness and playing the hero. Sakura is no exception, in fact his habits become enforced because of his feelings for her. Sakura hates that he does this but still, her willpower to do everything on her own and prove her worth would falter a little because Naruto's like that security blanket for her that makes everything seem possible and everything "easier" for her emotionally. Sakura would still try very hard to get home but the problem is Naruto would force himself to do absolutely _everything _so she doesn't have to. Naruto's idiotic selflessness would hinder Sakura from really showing the potential I know she's capable of. His love for her gets in the way here and I want to _really _show what the heroine of Naruto is can do. These challenges that Danzo is creating are a large hurdle, something Sakura has to and can overcome herself. So basically three words: _Heroine Character Development. _

And that is why Ch. 14 caused this sudden dark shift in plot. You don't have to like it if you don't want to but I'd at least appreciate it for you to understand where I'm coming from with this and the purpose behind it. :) Trust me, it is no fun for me to write angsty Sakura and hopeless Sakura. However, I feel the end justifies the means for what I plan to do with her growth.

Okay. Now that I have that out-of-the-way for the non-believers and "wtf just happened" readers xD, I can actually go back to the plot. What happened to Kushina after the tragic heartbreak of Shinosuke's demise? What will Minato do? _Read and find out. :P_

_Flashbacks in italics again, just to remind you guys. :P_

**Disclaimer: ****Copyright infringement not intended; Naruto belongs to Mashashi Kishimoto. 'Cause if I was Kishi, you'd see that all this Uchiha fanboying/pity partying would be lessened in the plot, Sakura would get reverse summoned to save Tsunade's life, and Neji would have been the one to lead the Hyuga Clan.**

* * *

_Always There_

~~Minato Namikaze~~

The blonde-haired Jonin stood in front of Kushina's house, contemplating what he was about to do next. Minato knew why he was here and there was no way he would go back on it. Not now, he couldn't stand the wait any longer. It had been two days since Kushina had found out the tragic death of Shinosuke. Two days since Minato himself had last seen the girl he loved. Two days of her doing who knows what. _Two. Days. _Honestly, the anxiety and questions was killing him. It actually surprised him he had restrained himself from talking to her as well as he had.

Still, if there's anything Minato was known for, it was self-control. That and tact. He knew better than to pester Kushina instantly, no matter how worried and concerned he felt. She was never the type for comfort, she preferred working out her problems on her own. However, despite this, Minato also knew that even _she_ needed someone in times like this, being isolated and alone would not be the only medicine for her, no matter how much she would likely protest. _Kushina ... I'm here for you, you know. You're not alone. _The blonde-haired jonin thought to himself, his resolve to see the red-head building even more.

Ending is inner monologue of doubt and worry, Minato confidently knocked on the door a few times, exhaling a breath unconsciously. He heard a feminne voice make a sound and then some shuffling behind the door to his objective after a few moments. He waited patiently for the response to come, mentally going over the words he was going to say to try to appease Kushina, already expecting her to deny his offer of emotional support. Maybe even slam the door in his face, he wasn't sure. After all, Kushina's emotional moodiness could very easily distinguish her as "unpredictable". Well, Minato wasn't one for easy tasks himself so some challenges were okay in his book.

In no time at all, the door opened. Some of his tenseness lessened slightly as he recognized the individual that had answered. It was a red-head alright, but was not the red-head he was looking for. Kushina's mother stood in the entryway, looking pleasantly surprised at Minato's unexpected appearance. _So Akana-san, huh? It makes sense, I shouldn't of expected Kushina would answer the door anyway. __If it were up to _her, _I'd probably be standing out here all day. _The blonde deduced, assuming Kushina in her ill state of depression and humor would likely ignore any attempt at people coming up to check up on her. Not that Minato blamed her. It's hard to be friendly when you're upset, after all.

"Well, if it isn't Minato!" Akana Uzumaki greeted, her pale face welcoming and friendly. "What a nice surprise it is to see you."

"Akana-san." The blonde-haired boy returned politely, smiling at her in return. As usual, the older woman was cheerful and kind. He really did like Kushina's mom. From what he knew, she was a lot like her daughter, just a bit more mellow and tactful. And easier to deal with. Not forgetting what he came here for, Minato quickly voiced his thoughts. "Kushina. I came to check up on her." He admitted seriously. "Is she here?"

At the mention of her daughter's name, her carefree expression fell a little. "So that's why you're here?" She asked matter-of-factly. "I thought you wouldn't come so early. Kushina tells me you usually follow what she wants without question." Akana confessed to him, smiling slightly at Kushina's habit of overruling people.

Minato was briefly surprised that she had told her mother that, but smiled himself in slight amusement. "Yes, well, sometimes I need to disobey her." He explained sheepishly, chuckling nervously as he put his hand behind his head. _That confirms Kushina wants to be left alone though, doesn't it? _He realized, somewhat dismayed. He didn't want to upset her. But he also knew that he wouldn't leave her in her grief alone, it could make things worse for his red-headed love.

The brief light-hearted moment ended too soon. Akana's face was set in a deep frown, her stormy gray eyes glowing with sadness and anxiety. "Shinosuke-kun's death is a _terrible _loss, he was a very noble and good-natured medic-nin. " She began, her tone filled with genuine remorse. "But it's worse ...! My poor daughter, I can't believe she had to lose him like this." Akana fretted, utterly upset and pained. "Whoever did this will not be punished lightly, that's a promise." She added, tone firm. Akana could not bear to sit by and watch Kushina suffer like this, it was like she herself was getting cut several times over with a barrage of shuriken.

Minato nodded in response, his blue eyes darkening. "Kushina can't handle this without difficulty. The last time I saw her, she was ... not coping very well." He told her, still remembering vividly the heartbreak and anger in her face as clearly as ever. "Is she any ... ?" The blonde attempted to ask, wondering if Kushina was coping any better than before. He heavily doubted it but still, he wanted to make sure.

Already guessing what he was about to say, the light red-headed woman shook her head abruptly, eyes huge with distress. "_No! _Not at all!" Akana wailed, sounding lost. "She's hasn't been here much and when she is, she just locks herself in her room." She explained sadly, not liking how helpless she was feeling. "And when I try to check up on her, I just here her _crying _so much. But she doesn't want me to comfort her, she won't let me! It's so hard to watch your child in so much pain and not be able to help." The former jonin ranted to Minato, hardly able to withstand this bleak situation.

For a long while, Minato was silent, absorbing all the information the woman had shared with him. Frankly, he was _very _disturbed, more than he would ever let show. Especially at the revelation of Kushina's non-stop sobbing, according to Akana. _Kushina never cries like that ... things are worse than I feared. _He thought to himself, worry almost threatening to overwhelm him.

"I never answered your question. I'm sorry for getting side-tracked, Minato." Akana apologized, knowing she could've controlled her rambling better. " Unfortunately, Kushina's not here. If she was, I would have told you long before now." She told him honestly, still sounding crestfallen.

At that, Minato was unsurprised. He had already assumed quickly that Kushina was not here a few minutes into the conversation. "You wouldn't by any chance know where she is, would you?" He pressed patiently. Surely she must've of at least told her mother where she was?

To his chagrin, Akana shook her head again. "No. Kushina wouldn't tell me, she just said she was going out." She admitted, disappointed herself. " I have no idea what she meant by that, I'm sorry I can't help."

The blonde-haired jonin was quiet again, thinking over his next move. Clearly, the girl he loved was trying her best to be elusive. And that only meant more challenges and difficulty for him. _Still ... I'm not giving up. Kushina's out there somewhere, I just need to find her. _He thought, willing himself to continue. Some small things like this was not going to stop _him. _

Returning his attention to Kushina's mother, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll find Kushina and make sure she's alright. She really _does _need someone there for her, being cut off from others isn't the best way to go about this." Minato stated matter-of-factly, trying to do his best to make the Uzumaki feel somewhat at ease.

Akana still looked doubtful. "She won't be happy about this. Kushina prefers suffering in silence, not someone trying to make her feel better. " The pale red-head sighed, annoyed a bit by her daughter's difficult attitude. "She'll just try and brush you off. You know how she is."

The blonde was unfazed. "My earlier words still stand. Sometimes what Kushina wants isn't what she needs. _Sometimes ..._ sometimes I have to disobey her." Minato reiterated, much more solemn and resolute.

Now Akana's expression changed. Her uncertainty melted away, instead turning to genuine faith. "You always were there for her when Kushina needed someone, even when she didn't _want _to need you. I remember when she used to hate you." She told him, recalling their strained childhood. "But, when it came down to it, you were probably the only one that stuck by her side and made living in Konoha more bearable. Even _I _wasn't enough." Akana confessed easily, staring at him in gratitude. "I never did thank you for helping my daughter. So ... thank you." She dipped her head to him respect to emphasis her sincerity. "For back then _and _now."

The usually cool jonin had an expression of stunned shock, caught off guard by the unexpected "thank you" speech. _Was I really that impacting to Kushina? It's true we're very close friends now, but I never thought I could've changed her outlook so drastically. _He thought, perplexed in spite of himself. Minato wasn't sure whether to believe Akana's words or not, it seemed too far-fetched. Sure, he knew his feelings. He truly loved Kushina with all his heart and always would, even if he never got to be with her. But he wasn't as sure about Kushina herself, she was too hard to read. Whatever she felt for him, romantic or not, it was still a mystery to him.

Actually annoyed at himself for getting distracted with such minuscule ponderings when he had a kunoichi to find, he quickly shoved his personal life to the back of his mind, determinedly making sure it would stay there until he finished what he had to do. Recovering as quick as he could from his previous confusion and shock, he responded to the pale red-head. "I _will _find Kushina. That's a promise. I won't fail."

The older woman was looking at him fondly, still grateful. "I know you will." Akana claimed confidently, remembering why she had always liked Minato. His determination and compassion were almost one in a million. Feeling some of her motherly worry and urges returning again, she couldn't resist adding, "Just ... please. Tell me how your talk with her went afterwards, if Kushina doesn't first, okay?"

Minato nodded his head in acknowledgement, already going over in his head possible places Kushina usually frequented. _Let's see ... there's where she goes to train. The official training area and her own on the outskirts of the village. Some of the ramen shops around are another place, Mikoto's home, and then there's ... Sakura's apartment._ He assessed, a bit glad at the limited number of places Kushina would go. Though that didn't mean she didn't go somewhere else entirely, if the kunoichi doesn't want to be found. Minato could not forget that or disregard the probable possibility. _She's probably not with anyone, so scratch out going to Sakura's ... same with Mikoto. So I guess that leaves only her training places and the ramen shops. _Minato figured out, narrowing down his list.

Having finally figured out what he's going to do, the blonde-haired jonin took off from Kushina's house. It didn't take long at all for Minato's distinctive blonde spikes to be out of clear view until he had faded away completely.

Akana Uzumaki watched his departure, her stormy gray eyes shining with satisfaction under her unruly, choppy, light red bangs. Holding her arm to her chest, a realization occurred to her. As soon as it hit her, she was both puzzled and faintly amused. _Strange ... the boy didn't even say a word about Kushina's feelings for him when I thanked him ..._

* * *

~~Minato (cont.)~~

Unfortunately for Minato, his search for the red-headed chunin was off to a rocky start. He checked the ramen shops first, since Kushina was known to go there for her favorite food, salt ramen. Though he quickly cursed himself for using that place as a starting point because as soon as he arrived, there were _many _people standing in line for ramen, crowding around the small section with a distinct lack of order. Minato knew immediately that Kushina in her particularly anti-social mood, would not be wasting her time there for ramen no matter how much she loved it. _So that leaves the training area options now ... hopefully, Kushina's predictable today. _He thought absently, still not discouraged. Minato would search the whole village for her if he had to.

Quickly tearing his almost annoyed blue gaze from the ramen stand (Call him uptight, but he really didn't like disorder), he resumed his search. Walking a little fast throughout the streets of Konoha, the young jonin aimed for her personal training area. That was the most likely place she was at now that Minato thought about it, given how she probably wanted to be by herself.

When he was about half-way to the outskirts of town to Kushina's training area, he ran across an unexpected and familiar face. Minato paused as he recognized the person coming in his direction, holding some groceries in her hands. The small sixteen-year old girl finally registered his appearance as well, her dark doe-eyes alight with recognition. Her direction changed slightly and she began coming toward him, stopping when she finally stood in front of him. "Minato-kun! I haven't seen you in a while." She exclaimed, sounding nice.

He was not upset with this distraction, in fact he actually welcomed it. It was highly possible, given her relationship with Kushina, that the girl would most likely know where she was. "I know. It's nice to see you again, Mikoto." Minato replied courteously. "I hope you and the Uchiha Clan are doing well lately."

The black-haired Uchiha nodded her head confidently. "The Uchiha Clan is always fine, it's not even a question." Mikoto answered immediately, her natural habit being to display her Clan as strong. "Anyway, what are you doing out here? You look like you're trying to go somewhere pretty fast." She noted, faintly cocking her head in curiousity.

"It's because I am. I'm looking for-" Minato began, about to explain to her Mikoto what his intentions were.

"It's Kushina-chan, right?" The chunin interrupted, knowing Minato well enough by now. He was always with Kushina, after all. Of course she'd assume that's who he was seeking.

"As always." He said light-heartedly, only half-joking. "I was wondering, Mikoto ... you wouldn't happen to know where she is by any chance, would you?" Minato finally asked, concealing his anticipation of her response.

Mikoto's huge coal-black eyes became filled with worry. "I do, actually." She admitted ironically. "She's in the training zone. I wanted to come and talk to her, but she said she was too busy." The female Uchiha explained, staring a little at the ground in disappointment. "I'm not stupid, you know. I know she's in pain because of Shinosuke-san's death. The whole village knows what happened to him already." Mikoto sighed, dismayed. "I wish I could help her ..."

"We all do." The blonde-haired jonin countered sympathetically. "Thanks for telling me where she is. I thought you most likely knew." Minato said earnestly. He wasn't that surprised Mikoto wasn't with her either. Knowing Kushina, she wouldn't want her there. She didn't even want _him _with her. "It _is _the Training Field you're talking about, isn't it?" He checked. He didn't want to go to the wrong training area, after all.

"Well, yes, but ..." Mikoto confirmed reluctantly, looking hesitant. "Kushina-chan's only going to get mad at you for trying to make her talk about what happened. You know that!" The young Uchiha argued, not wanting her friend to deal with the backlash of the fiery red-head's sharp tongue. It's true Minato usually did anyway, but this was a serious situation!

Minato sighed, half-exasperated. It seems anyone else who knew Kushina would be telling him to leave her be, but he had already done that. He gave her two days, worried out of his mind. If he waited any longer, he was afraid of what the red-head would do to herself. "Kushina's temper is the least of my concerns right now. She can't deal with this alone, I won't let her. My reasoning for this is justified, you know how self-destructive she can be when she's mentally upset just as well as I do." He pointed out logically, bright blue gaze stubborn.

Mikoto was quiet, her pale face showing an unreasonable degree of surprise, much to Minato's puzzlement. "You _are _serious. You never try and stand up against Kushina-chan when you know she'll just get mad at you. You're usually scared of her anger issues." She stated bluntly. "But I can't argue with you, Minato-kun, especially when I'm worried over her too." She finally gave in, adding fretfully, "Just make sure you're easy on her, okay? Kushina-chan's not known for patience so if you push her a little _too_ much, well ... you know what happens." Mikoto told him flatly.

The blonde-haired jonin simply dipped his head to let the anxious Uchiha to let her know he understood, once again mentally going over his words as he prepared to find her. Minato quickly realized that nothing he would say would make Kushina accept his support and words of comfort easily, much to his disappointment. _Kushina herself can be difficult ... unfortunately, this situation just makes that little quirk of hers worse. _

"I want to come with you. She's my best friend." She admitted, before sighing once again. "But something tells me it would be better if it's only you who comes to talk with her. I'd only make her even more mad." Mikoto looked at Minato, adding "I mean, after all, you're always the one she's able to open up to more. I may be her best friend, but still ... compare me to _you_? You always win out to Kushina-chan, Minato-kun. Even I know that."

The blonde still felt slightly shocked, not exactly used to these comments about Kushina's bond with in in such a significant way. _I seem to be_ getting_ a lot of these remarks today. _Minato noted in his mind, a little confused. Shaking off his conflicting feelings much quicker than before, he assured Mikoto that everything with Kushina would be fine before setting off again in the direction of the Training Field, the young chunin bidding him good luck as he went.

After some swift traveling, Minato finally after what seemed like forever arrived at his destination. As soon as the Training Field came into sight, he slowed his pace. His former tenseness returned but even that was overpowered by his concern for Kushina. _I hope Kushina's not doing something stupid ... _He thought worriedly, preparing himself for the red-head's pitiful condition. Even imaging it made him ache with helplessness and sympathy.

As he stepped into toward the open space through the brush, the blonde-haired jonin stopped instantly in his tracks, his bright blue gaze full of alarm. Minato had readied himself for a a distraught teenager to welcome him, so _this _was entirely unexpected. _Kushina ... ? What in the world? _He thought innerly, bewilderment and amazement streaking through him.

Standing in front of him were four people, four people he knew well. The tall, black-haired Yamanaka Eri was there, observing sharply over the three others, giving advice and tips to them. Masumi Uchiha and Takeshi Inuzuka were sparring each other, each counter each other's blows deftly. But the biggest shock of all to Minato was the fair-skinned red-head who was jumping into the mix, challenging the other two step for step. It was a training session. A training session Kushina Uzumaki was actually taking place in. _Mikoto never told me any of this ... I'm guessing she didn't know. This is really strange! _He noted in his head, trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing.

As the usually collected and confident blonde was still in his stupor, none of Team Eri seemed to realize he was there. Takeshi tried a roundhouse kick to Masumi's ribcage, but the elite Uchiha blocked it with ease. The sandy-haired Inuzuka sent an angry glare to Masumi, earning him a slight smug smile from the black-haired boy. While the two had the briefest of a staring contest, Kushina wasted no time in using this opening. She punched Takeshi in the face and then used her left arm to hit him more fully, simultaneously using her legs to hurt her other teammate.

Having put much of her strength in her attacks, Takeshi fell back on the ground a few feet away. Once he recovered slightly from the unexpected hit, he used his arm to clean the blood off his right check. His animalistic slitted eyes were glaring death at his female teammate through his thick light brown bangs over his black headband. On the other hand, Masumi had dodged at the way mostly unscathed, ignoring the slight pain in his side as he backflipped to get a little distance from them.

Kushina was standing, clutching her right fist tightly to her side as she looked over Masumi and Takeshi. "Never let your guard down, Takeshi! You know what happens." She said threateningly.

"That was playing dirty, Kushina!" The Inzuka muttered angrily, a little surprised at how much force she had put in her hits. It _was _just a training session, after all.

Their sensei shook her head at his comment from her place by the tree stumps. "No, that's being opportunistic." Eri corrected impassively. " You must _always _be aware of your surroundings, even when you're in the midst of fighting someone else. By not paying attention, you could get ambushed by hidden enemies." Her pale blue eyes pierced Takeshi, looking at her student reproachfully. "It's even worse for you since Kushina was right in front of you."

"Her and Masumi aren't the only Chunin here! I _know _all of that stuff." He pointed out crossly, trying to cover up his embarrassment of making such a juvenile mistake.

She sighed. "Perhaps." The Yamanka acknowledged, visibly irritated. "But your weakness has always been your intensity combined with your short attention span. It's what you still have to work on. Remember that." Eri explained matter-of-factly. Turning to her female student, she gave her a curt nod. "Well done, Kushina."

Kushina didn't respond to her sensei. Instead, she fixed her fierce navy-blue gaze on teammates. "Get up, you two." She barked firmly. "How 'bout you _both _attack me at once. Come on, you're not afraid, are you?" She asked, a taunting and challenging tone in her voice.

Takeshi wasn't paying attention to her, he was grumbling to himself. "That wouldn't have happened if I had Hiro with me on this." He muttered in annoyance, referring to his ninja dog. At the mention of his name, the brown-and-white animal sitting beside Eri barked loudly.

Eri rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but Kushina was faster. "Oh, _Shaddup, _will ya-ttebane?!" She snapped abruptly, her pale face oozing impatience. "Is the Inuzuka Clan _so weak_, they have to constantly depend on ninja dogs? Seriously, how embarrassing-ttebane!" Kushina insulted bluntly.

At that comment, Minato snapped out of his confusion. Now that he really paid attention, he could tell that Kushina was _not _acting her usual self at all. _Something's wrong with her ... she's acting more aggressive than usual. _He picked up on, a worried frown marring his face. It was then that it dawned on him. He thought it was strange seeing her with her teammates and taking part in something like this, but he realized this was just her way of coping. _Kushina's taking her emotions out on her teammates. By goading them into fights and going all-out on them, she's trying to get her mind off Shinosuke. It's no different than all the fights she had when she was struggling to erase her guilt of saving Sakura ... everyone else keep telling her she was a spy. _Minato realized, remember how much of an emotional disaster she was during the time of Sakura's incapacitation. Except this time ... it was worse. Much, _much_ worse.

During the blonde-haired jonin's upsetting revelation, Takeshi had quickly responded in kind. He had shouted loudly at Kushina at the insult to his Clan, but this only earned more of her taunts and belligerence. Masumi Uchiha (who had been stoically silent as he observed this) had a perplexed expression on his face, standing on his feet now. It seemed he too had realized Kushina's odd and hostile behavior.

"Look, if you won't attack, I _will!" _The red-headed Uzumaki stated aggressively. She fisted her in hand in a tight fast once again and raised it, charging for Takeshi. "I'm coming for you too, Masumi-ttebane! Don't be cowards!" Kushina added furiously, looking unreasonably angry to Minato.

"You calling me a coward! Try saying that again when I flatten you!" The hot-tempered Inuzuka said confidently, getting himself in an attacking position as Kushina came closer. She was unfazed and unthreatened, her dark blues eyes showing a great amount of focus.

Much to Minato's relief, Masumi quickly positioned himself next to Takeshi, shoving him away from Kushina. The Uchiha's dark onyx eyes were solemn. "No, Takeshi. That's enough." He said, a pointed edge in his tone.

"Kushina! Stop." Eri Yamanka ordered simultaneously, seeming _very _annoyed herself.

The red-headed chunin glared at her in challenge, but soon seemed to be withering under Eri's piercingly authoritative gaze. Minato swore for a moment he saw the faintest hint of remorse in Kushina's face, but the moment was gone too fast for him to be sure. _Thank goodness ... Kushina was stopped. Good call, I was going to do that myself._ He thought to himself, his shoulders sagging in relief. It was exactly as he feared. His red-headed love was more emotionally unstable than ever, much to Minato's grief.

"Hah! Whatever." Kushina huffed and crossed her arms, trying to appear nonchalant and unrepentant. "It's just a training session, it's not like I'm trying to kill them." She added defensively, seeming offended.

"Like you could anyway!" Takeshi retorted, still angry over his teammate's hostile attitude today. This smart remark earned him burning "Shut up" stares from Eri, Masumi, and of course Kushina.

Eri's strict expression softened, turning into a rare display of concern. "I know that, Kushina. No here is accusing you of that." She reassured her, shaking her head to emphasis it. "But you're not acting your usual self today. All of us here can see it. Perhaps it's best for you if we end this training session today." Eri offered sympathatically. The gentleness and kindness in the reserved jonin stunned Minato for what it felt like the tenth time that day. She was usually so stern and borderline abrupt, he had never seen her be so generous, least of all with Kushina.

There was a flash of pain in the red-headed girl's dark blue depths, but still she would not back down. "But I want to-"

"Listen to her, Kushina." Masumi enforced. "You're obviously not in your right mind. Do yourself a favor: Go home and rest." The Uchiha stated curtly, despite the genuine pity in his eyes.

"Heh! Might as well so we don't have to deal with your super bitch attitude today. Do _us _a favor." Takeshi said brazenly, showing a distinct lack of respect. Anger welled up in Minato as he heard the coarse words. _How dare he say that! He has no idea of the pain Kushina's in right now. Some supportive teammate he is. _He thought, dislike for the Inuzuka beginning to be aroused. He knew him and Kushina often came to verbal spats, so Minato guessed he shouldn't be surprised.

Masumi sent him a death glare almost immediately. "Do you even _know _what comes out of your mouth? Just shut up for once and leave Kushina alone." The black-haired chunin replied icily.

Eri sighed in exasperation. "Thank you, Masumi." She said quietly before her sternness and authority returned entirely. "It's final. This training session is over. In a few days time, after everyone's cooled down ..." Eri looked pointedly to Takeshi and Kushina who were avoiding her gaze. "We'll begin our missions again. Dismissed." She finished, disappearing immediately.

Kushina looked at her feet, hugging herself. "I'll go home when I feel like it." She muttered, but there was no defiance in her voice. In fact, she sounded pitifully tired and drained, not challenging.

Masumi gave her a knowing look and nodded his head in understanding, while Takeshi only did a half-hearted "Whatever" before they begin to disperse from the training area. Faintly, Minato just managed to make out some of their words.

"You're such a girl, Masumi! Interrupting my fight like that even before Eri-sensei! Some Uchiha you are!" Takeshi taunted to him in amusement, almost laughing.

The usually composed and calm Masumi emitted death at the girl comment, activating his Sharingan in his comical fury. "You idiot, get off that! I already told you, my name is for both boys _and _girls." He growled touchily, furious at the hidden insult to his name. "Besides, I'd rather be girly and level-headed than a complete child like _you._" Masumi countered bluntly.

"Dude, it's mostly for girls. Hahaha!" Takeshi laughed at his expense, not even bothered by the Uchiha's anger. "I always _love _playing on your ego like that, it always gets you so mad."

Masumi shot back another ire-filled comment to his friend but Minato tuned out, becoming disinterested as he refocused his attention on Kushina. Now that everyone was leaving, the attitude of the girl he loved was changing drastically. Her previous fire and temper was gone now, replaced with loneliness and despondency. She was half-crouching on the ground, absently playing with the grass underneath her feet. The degree of loss and torment in her navy-blue eyes was so vivid, it almost pulsed misery.

The pitiful display of helplessness and fragility of someone who always acted so strong called to his heart, begging him to go over and comfort her. _Now's my chance ... she's alone. _Minato realized, stepping out from the bushes and trees he had sheltered under when he was watching Team Eri's interactions. He zeroed in on Kushina, not bothering to hide his presence anymore as he walked toward her.

Hearing the sounds of his approach, Kushina stood up and looked around. When she finally noticed him, she stared in shock. "Minato-ttebane!" She uttered, her verbal tic slipping out unconsciously in her surprised frame of mind.

The blonde-haired jonin attempted to smile, already trying to calm her down from how he _knew _she would react after she recovered herself. "Hey, Kushina." He addressed lightly.

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, DATTEBANE!"_

* * *

~~Kushina~~

The red-headed kunoichi could not help but be surprised. Partly because she hadn't really sensed his chakra when she probably should have (which she usually cared about a lot more, but somehow her pride was not dented) but mostly? Just that Minato was here. Kushina hadn't expected him to show up at all, in fact she was sure he would leave her be for several days. Her blonde-haired best friend was not known for having much of a backbone when it came to her, after all. _Why is he here? I just want to be alone, I don't want to talk about anything. _She complained in her head, feeling miserly and depressed. That's all that mattered to her right now. Being by herself in her own pit of despair.

"Hey, Kushina." Minato greeted to her, clearly attempting to be as non-threatening and friendly to her as possible in her delicate mood.

This made Kushina suspicious and more than a little unnerved. The wary conjecture she had already had in the back of her mind the moment his flashy blond spikes appeared suddenly jumped to life, much to her dismay. _No! Please, Minato don't make talk about that ... I don't need your help, I'll be fine on my own. _The painful reality of Shinosuke's death was not something she wanted to open up about. Worst still, Kushina didn't like depending on people. It made her feel inferior yet selfish at the same time. She never wanted people to be brought down to her level of grief, it wasn't hers to share. _They _should be happy, worry about their own problems not hers. Yet, even she knew her reasons were not entirely of the selfless kind. Her own independence and disgust of looking weak was also part of it, she couldn't lie to herself. She wasn't fond of lying to herself. _Minato, please just go away. I don't want to be mean to you, I know it's only because you care, but ... it's the only way you might listen! _Kushina thought, feeling somewhat guilty.

Forcing herself on the defensive, the red-headed Uzumaki glared incredulously at her friend. "What the hell are you doing here, -dattebane!?" She questioned hotly, despite already knowing the answer. Even though she knew, she would not let Minato have his way. There was no way in hell.

Minato's face was calm, not even the slightest bit intimidated or unsure. That annoyed Kushina, she was sure she had put a lot of her anger and frustration in her voice. _Damn ... ! That usually works right away. Why me? _She thought, hating how much more difficult he would likely make the situation. She could already see it in his eyes.

"Kushina ... I'm here to help. I'm here because you _need _my help." Minato began vaguely, sounding genuinely sincere. "I think you know it, too."

" I don't _need _anyone's help, not even yours!" She denied fiercely, trying to push down the pain and grief this subject never failed to create in her. "What right do you have to say what I _need-ttebane?!"_ Kushina argued angrily. "I _know _what I need and that's to be alone. I don't want to talk about what happened, Minato." With that last part, she turned her back to him, refusing to look him in the eye. She was afraid he'd see the agony hidden in her navy-blue orbs. _I can't look vulnerable like this ... especially in front of him. __I just can't. I don't want him to worry about me. _Kushina thought in her, wishing nothing more that he would leave her to herself, for both their sakes.

She heard Minato sigh behind her, sounding disappointed. "I knew you would act like this." He told her, adding in a firmer voice. "And you _know _that I'm not going to let this go." He pointed out, saying it as a fact.

Kushina's eyes widened a bit in emotion, but she quickly closed them in frustration. "Why can't you leave me alone, -dattebane?! Why not just respect what I want and just _leave_, -dattebane?! You always did before-ttebane!" She shouted to him in frustration, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with this topic.

"Because, believe it or not Kushina, you're not always right!" Minato retorted, actually sounding a little angry. "I'm doing this because I care. I can't bear to see you suffer like this and keep everything inside. Who knows what that'll do to you."

The red-headed chunin was silent for a bit, feeling her forced frustration and anger beginning to disappear as she listened to Minato's words. Her back still turned to him, Kushina rubbed her left arm in a unconcious nervous gesture. "I know I'm not always right, Minato. Even if it doesn't always seem that way." She admitted, knowing her bad habit of being stubborn and difficult. "But ... talking about _that _is the last thing I want to do. You don't know, maybe I can deal just fine without you butting in." She protested, not exactly sounding angry anymore. "I just don't want to be around people right now, I wanna be by myself."

"Funny. You didn't exactly seem that way when you were pummeling your teammates a little while ago." He said flatly.

Shock flooded through Kushina. She certainly didn't expect _that _comment. Finally turning to face Minato, she stared at him in confusion. "You were there the whole time?" Kushina asked in disbelief, feeling her previous shame she had hidden over her treatment of her friends coming back even more strongly.

"I saw enough." He responded, looking distressed and worried. "_This _is what I'm talking about, Kushina. Everytime you're hurt or upset ... anytime you have a problem you don't want, you take it out on other people. It doesn't make your problems go way, you know. Or make you feel any better. You've always been like this ever since I've known you." Minato told her, concerned. "That's why my worry isn't unreasonable. Throwing punches and taunting others is only going to make you feel worse."

Once again, the usually loud-mouthed girl was left speechless. _He's right ... he's absolutely right. _Kushina acknowledged sadly, hating herself already for how she treated her team. Especially Takeshi. Sure, she argued with him probably more than necessary, the guy was annoying and conflict-seeking. At least Masumi was a little nicer and considerate. Still, the Inuzuka was her friend and she did care for him. Yet, in her depression, she had sent barrage of insults and attacked him a little too forcefully for a training session. Even Masumi, who she was a little closer to, was not spared her frustration and negative behavior. _No matter how upset I am, I should never have done that to them. I need to apologize. _The kunoichi decided, though she suspected Takeshi would not take the apology without some last insult or barb. Not that she didn't deserve it.

"It's different then before. Usually, I only beat up bullies." Kushina stated, her eyes clouded with shame. "But it wasn't my team's fault for what happened, they didn't deserve it. I really am sorry I did that to them." She admitted regretfully. "And I know I don't always take things the right way when I'm frustrated, believe me I do."

"Then you know why I don't think it's right to leave you by yourself in times like this for too long. You practically said it yourself." Minato said, walking a bit closer to her to stand in front of her. "You make things harder when there's no one there to talk things out. Stop being difficult."

_Look who's talking. You're selfless to the point of selfishness, if that makes any sense. _She thought absently, finding it ironic that he would lecture her on making things more difficult when _he _did that himself for others sakes. But she wasn't willing to point that out, she knew it wasn't the time. Kushina still felt reluctant, she didn't want to take about her feelings still. Just suffering quietly in her anguish over her beloved medic-nin seemed better for her. "Minato ... forget about me. You care too much, I'll be okay. You don't need to constantly watch out for me, y'know." She disagreed one last time, her well-known orneriness starting to fail her.

"I can't do that, Kushina. I already told you, I'm not letting this go." Minato reminded her, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Seeing the steely determination and fortitude in her best friend's face, the red-head gave him a half-hearted glare. "You chose now of all times to be stubborn with me?" Kushina asked, her tone more of a statement than a question. _Minato is a lot more persistent than he seems sometimes, it's so weird. And annoying ... in a cute way. _She noted to herself, debating over whether not she liked this personality trait or not. She settled for love/hate.

"That's because I'm actually serious about this, Kushina. If I wasn't, I wouldn't even be trying this hard. You know I hate making you mad." The blonde-haired jonin clarified for, looking at her as if it was obvious.

"Yeah, yeah I know." She responded dismissively, sighing tiredly. "Fine. You win this round." Kushina began to move towards the trees to relax, forcing her gaze to look at Minato stubbornly. "But this is the last argument you will _ever _win, you got that? Next time I won't give in, I'm not losing to you." She warned, some of her previous fire faintly reappearing.

"We're keeping a score?" He asked, baffled at how Kushina tended to view everything in a competitive light. But it didn't take long for his mild confusion to shift to entertainment. "Whatever you say, Kushina." He replied agreeably. More than anything, he was just glad he had gotten through to her somehow.

She walked a few paces and leaned against one of the tree trunks, sagging down to the ground ungracefully. Kushina swore she never was more exhausted and worn out in all her life, it was almost like she aged beyond her years. Her pain and loss of Shinosuke still pulsed strongly in her heart. Minato crouched next to her, looking at her in apprehension. _I wish he'd stop worrying ... but like he practically said himself, it's impossible. I know how he feels for me. _She thought absently. Kushina stared at her friend blankly, not really sure what to do now. Or maybe it was just her personal qualms preventing her, she wasn't sure. "So ... you're gonna shrink me now? Damn you, Minato." The red-headed girl cursed, knowing full-well how weak that remark was. Kushina just couldn't bring herself to be genuinely mad anymore, it was way too much work at that point. "Where do we even start?"

Minato was still patient, seeming thoughtful. "Just tell me how you feel right now, Kushina. I just want to help." He repeated, as compassionate and stubborn as ever.

_Feelings? _She hated doing that, especially about something like this. And his words still didn't help her that much. Where does she even begin? What was she supposed to do? Tell him she missed Shinosuke so much it hurt? There weren't even _words _to describe how much she missed him and his good-natured ways. Even now, just thinking about it made her want to cry like she had done so many times lately. But again, she was sure Minato already knew that. So really what was there to tell? It's not like Minato could erase the pain she felt, no matter how hard he tried. _To hell with over thinking ... it's not like I'm good at things like that anyway. _Kushina assured herself, not feeling the need to go over what she planned to say. Instead, she'd just say what's in her heart.

"I miss him. I miss him so much, Minato ... the world 'miss' isn't even a strong enough word for it." Kushina began, trying to stop her voice from wavering. "I'm not usually like this. So depressed and mean. But it's so hard not to be-ttebane!" She wailed a little, a little bothered that she was having such poor emotional control. "After _you, _Shinosuke was the only person who seemed to really care about me besides Mom. You know how it was before, I was mostly alone and didn't have many friends that could deal with me for long." She reminisced sadly, thinking of memories she'd rather not remember. " I know I could be difficult sometimes, but it was nice to feel like I was being accepted. After Dad died when Whirlpool was scattered, Mom changed. She was there, but it felt like she wasn't actually _there. _It took a while for her to act a little like she used and even now, she's not the same. Not really." Kushina continued on sadly. Her mother was still caring and supportive, but so much more cynical and distrusting. "And, well things got more challenging when I was set up to be the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi after Mito-sama. And then after that, there was the bullying and being like an outcast ..." She sighed, not particularly fond of her childhood.

Minato listened to her in silence for a while until Kushina started to talk about her harsh past a bit more in-depth. He grimaced, dismayed. "Kushina, that was back then. You have friends now and you've been accepted in the village for a few years since, you shouldn't still be upset over all that."

She shook her head. "I already know that. I'm over most of the stuff that happened back when I was younger. Yeah, it was rough but it could've been worse. I'm not one for thinking about the past too much so no worries." Kushina corrected calmly. If was anything she still wasn't over, it was Satoshi's passing. Her status as Jinchuriki was more bearable now, especially because of Minato. It really didn't put too much stress on her anymore, she already accepted it. "Anyway, after Dad died, it was nice having someone like Shinosuke around. He always treated me good which is more than I could say about most people at first." Kushina said, painful gratitude and fondness squeezing her heart as she remembered the day she first met the former medical ninja.

_~~Flashback: Konoha, Three Years Earlier~~_

_The 13-year old red-head was trudging unsteadily through the streets of her village, holding her side stiffly as it oozed uncomfortable, wet blood. 'Stupid Mist-nin, they can go screw themselves for hurting me this badly. I hope Eri-sensei and the others took care of them. I was going to do it myself if she didn't chase me way ... what the hell were they doing anyway?' Kushina had wondered, all-around furious. Her new jonin instructor hadn't even bothered to explain the motives behind them, instead leaving her in the dark. 'Because I'm a genin, right?' She answered her own indignant confusion, but even she knew she was just being unreasonable by being upset over something like that. _

_Though that was the least of her worries. The deep gash and cut on her right side was not the only injury she had sustained. She had several bruises that she knew were minor but really bothered her was how both her right leg and arm were almost limp. It was that sudden water whirlpool in the midst of battle that had caused it, the heavily bleeding wound by a sword. Forcing herself to continue walking, she limped little by little towards her house. Hopefully her mother would be too wrapped up in her own paralyzed, grief-stricken mind to notice her daughter's scores of wounds. She usually was, anyway. Kushina felt bad for a moment for wishing Akana to be like that, but she quickly pushed it away._

_Much to her agitation, her leg was so messed it up it hindered her progress immensely. It took forever for her to even get halfway towards her home. She cursed the Mist-nin with strong profanity to herself, wishing so much he was here so she could punch his face in. It didn't matter to her how wounded she was, a good punch in would satisfy her at least a little. Forcing herself to stop, Kushina sat heavily on the ground to rest her leg for a few minutes. She wasn't patient enough to wait any longer than that. 'I'm the Jinchuriki of Kyuubi. So why aren't my injuries already gone? They usually are by now. Just my luck.' The red-head thought in displeasure._

_Not allowing herself any more to stay put much longer, she was preparing herself to get up and continue walking again when her eyes caught side of figure she hadn't noticed before. A tall man was coming towards her, his distinctive shaggy hair sticking out all over the place. 'Who's that?' She wondered curiously, not exactly understanding why he was coming near her. Instinctively, her mental guard was raised a little. _

_The figure approached her until he was standing in front of her. Kushina could see him clearly now. He seemed concerned and friendly visibly, but still. Her experience with people in the past still made her somewhat distrusting. _

_"You. You're hurt pretty severely." He noted, his bright blue gaze assessing her quickly. He kneeled down and smiled at her reassuringly. "I can fix you, you know." The brown-haired man stated kindly. _

_Kushina instantly flinched away from him slightly, her navy-blue eyes narrowed in distrust. " I don't know you. And besides, these wounds are nothing. I don't need someone's help." She said abruptly. It wasn't an entire lie. Her healing rate was usually pretty fast on so she didn't often need medical attention. Though she couldn't deny her body was hurting like hell still and she really wanted it to be treated right away. But again, her defense mechanism of strangers was still leaving her hesitant. _

_He stared at him in surprise. "Someone has trust issues." He said simply, not really seeming offended. Soon afterwards, he ignored Kushina's refusal of his aide and loaded up his chakra in his palm. "I'm a medic and you need help. Please don't make this difficult." _

_The red-headed girl still could not help but glare at him before eying his glowing blue hands warily. Any person would probably tell her she was being ridiculous and some part of her knew that was true but she couldn't help herself. 'I've never been healed before by a medic-nin before ... I didn't usually need it. Besides, I'd have to go to a hospital. And I really don't like that place.' She thought, debating over whether she should let him. Coming to the conclusion that she was over-reacting so much it was embarrassing, she relaxed slightly. "Thanks." Kushina muttered hesitantly._

_The medic-nin nodded his head, smiling at her again in relief. He quickly went to work and applied his chakra steadily to the young genin, making sure to do his job thoroughly. She immediately tensed again at the strange sensation of chakra cleaning out her wounds, but slowly forced herself to get accustomed to it. _

_After several minutes of healing, particularly on the deep gash on her side, he stood up from his crouching position. "Well, those were pretty bad wounds you had there." He tilted his head a little in teasing gesture. "Maybe you shouldn't be so reckless. You're still a genin, after all."_

_Kushina rose on unsteady legs, careful to put less weight on her leg even if it was already healed. "I'm not a coward." She said calmly despite her blunt statement. "And besides, it was the stupid Mist-nin too! He was fast. Ugh, I wish I could get my hands on him -dattebane!" She ranted a lot, holding up her hand in a fist. _

_The brown-haired man was staring at her quizzically. "Dattebane?" He reiterated slowly, sounding amused at the foreign word. "I just met you and I can already tell you're a very, very weird girl." He laughed._

_Kushina glared at him, blushing in embarrassment that this stranger had made fun of her. She already hated using that word enough, she didn't need others teasing her for it too! "I don't think I'm weird so shut up-ttebane!" She retorted fiercely._

_The medic-nin just shrugged off her rude talk, not the least bit ruffled. His bright blue gaze still had a cheerful sparkle in them. "I'm Shinosuke." He introduced himself at last._

_"I'm Kushina Uzumaki!" She said exuberantly, sounding a little nicer compared to her previous display of temper. Kushina didn't know why, but something about this guy made her like him. He seemed trustworthy but that wasn't the only thing. Shinosuke was actually acknowledging her and treating as an equal. No one really did that for her since she had started to warm up to Minato after their run-in with Kumo-nin a few months before. It really made her ... happy. _

_Shinosuke's face suddenly sparked with fascinated recognition. "Say, aren't you the girl who transferred here from the Whirlpool village a few years back? I knew I'd seen you around before." He claimed curiously._

_"Hell yeah!" Kushina said confidently, grinning a little. If she was honest with herself, she was actually surprised Shinosuke didn't seem to care much about her being from Whirlpool. In fact, he seemed very interested. It was a sharp contrast from the slight case of ostracization she got from time to time. His easygoing and non-judgement disposition was a welcome to her, just like it was in Minato._

_"Nice to meet you in person, Kushina-chan." Shinosuke replied warmly, adding the affectionate suffix 'chan' to her name. "Next time, when you're injured like that, go to the Konoha hospital. It's better for you instead of going somewhere else on your own to heal manually. And less painless." He advised her, his instinct as a medic-nin to give her advice like that._

_Instantly, the red-headed kunoichi scowled at his words. "No way -dattebane! The hosptial's so ... depressing." Kushina claimed matter-of-factly, having trouble stomaching going there._

_Shinosuke looked puzzled. "Depressing? I don't see why, it's a place of healing." _

_"_And _where people die, y'know." The genin responded tartly, giving him a flat look. "Sorry, it's just not my type of place."_

_The brown-haired medical ninja just shook his head. "Well, we all think different things." He answered peacefully, the light-hearted look in his blue eyes coming back again. "I suggest if you want to be a ninja, you overcome that little pet peeve of yours. Chances are, you'll be in there more times than you can count." Shinosuke stated._

_Kushina groaned a little, not liking how right he probably was about that. "Don't say stuff like that, Shinosuke. It's not fun to think about for me-ttebane." She whined, pouting._

_Much to her irritation, Shinosuke just grinned and chuckled at her expense. "Understood." He said, feigning remorse. The tall medical ninja turned away from the red-headed genin, preparing to leave. He glanced over his shoulder to Kushina and gave her an encouraging smile. "I hope we see each other again, Kushina-chan. Just remember to stop by the Konoha hospital sometime when you're hurt, I'll always be there to patch you up if you want me to."_

_~~End Flashback~~_

Kushina's plunge into her past ended, tears beginning to rise from her tear ducts as the remnants of that day came coursing through her. _It's different ... he'll never be there again when I'm hurt! Never again ... _She realized, the sickening fact hitting her hard as it seeped in. All of the grief and misery she had tried to cover up ever since Minato showed up to her just came rushing to the surface, to the point she could not longer ignore it. _I'll never be able to joke around with him or tell him about my training, it's all gone! I lost my father ... again! _She closed her eyes in frustration, feeling like she was breaking down.

Minato noticed quickly the tenseness and anguish in Kushina's whole body. "Kushina?" He prompted, staring at her in worry.

"Minato!" She called out, her tears now streaking down her face in rivelts. "Shinosuke's really gone, I'll never see him again-ttebane! And I couldn't do anything to save him, nothing-ttebane! He just died while I was pouting and whining about stupid things-ttebane! Why did this have to happen, he never deserved something like this. It's all so wrong ..." She shook her head violently, not even caring for once that she was crying in front of Minato. Kushina just couldn't bear it anymore, she couldn't act like she was fine or even compensate with aggression. The only thing she was content in doing was weeping as hard as she could, her pride and toughness be damned.

Silently, without asking permission, Minato drew closer to Kushina. He put his hands on her shaking shoulders and drew her into his chest, his face serious yet sympathetic at the same time. He gazed down at her. "Kushina ... it's okay to cry. You don't have to be embarrassed or angry with yourself, it's not a crime." He chided softly, knowing that later she would be kicking herself for this. "Sometimes ... sometimes acting tough only makes things worse. So let it out, if you have to."

Kushina stopped her trembling but not her tears. On normal circumstances, she would be very embarrassed and confused by this action of Minato's. But now? She didn't care, in fact she welcomed it. He had always been her rock when things were hard or difficult. Always. And she didn't regret accepting his comfort now even though she had tried so hard for this not to happen. _Minato ... I need this. I need _him. She realized to herself, burying herself deeper into his jonin vest as she sobbed uncontrollably. Only later did Kushina start to realize the significance of this moment. Only later did she begin to wonder what this meant for her _and _Minato.

She didn't know how long they had sat together against the tree or how long she had cried so hard. Minato didn't say much to her or even complained in the slightest, even though she could _feel _the dampness of his vest underneath her face. Kushina, despite her weaken frame of mind, felt bad for using him as her own personal pillow and tissue to _this_ extent. Even she knew how uncomfortable it must be, though she'd doubt he'd agree with her. Her loud weeping finally started to subside, mellowing out into small sobs.

As soon as Minato picked up on her starting to calm down, the blonde-haired jonin spoke up again after a long silence. "I don't expect you to get over what happened to him, even when I came here I felt that way. And I also know that I can't truly understand what you're going through either. I still have Jiraiya-sensei so it's impossible." He began gently. "But my purpose was to let you know that you're not alone. People care for you and want you to feel better. Akana-san, Mikoto, everyone." Minato explained. "Me as well. I'll always do my best to help you and make you happy. I mean it from the bottom of my heart." He finished, his voice filled with honesty and sincerity.

Kushina's gratitude and contentment increased tenfold at his truthfulness. She knew how much he meant it and it touched her so intensely, the red-head could never fully explain it to him if she tried. _Minato ... why do you have to be so wonderful? _She thought affectionately. Cobbling together her voice after crying for so long, Kushina smiled as she prepared her next words. "Minato ... thank you. Thank you so much for everything. You've always been this way, always supporting and making me feel better. You're the only person who's been always there for me, no matter what. Thank you isn't even good enough after everything you've done." The red-headed Uzumaki managed to work out through her still flowing tears.

"It's nothing to thank me for." He replied modestly. "Though I hope you've learned something from this. Bottling up serious things like this and letting it fester usually won't help. Remember, Kushina. You don't have to do everything alone, you have me and others now who care." Minato reminded her again, sounding adamant.

Kushina almost felt exasperated at her friend's constant worry and persistence again, but it was fleeting. Her affection and appreciation for him was just too strong at the moment for her to be irritated. A genuine smile was plastered on her face despite the trickle of tear drops falling down her cheeks. She wasn't sure if they were happy or sad tears but it didn't really matter to her. " Say's you ... always doing things alone. Don't be a hypocrite, Minato -dattebane." She countered him teasingly, not sounding the least bit angry. _You adorable, selfless hypocrite. _She added to herself fondly.

She felt her friend chuckle in his chest at her comment. "I guess you're right about that. Both have some flaws of ours we need fixing." Minato replied self-consciously, sounding amused in spite of himself.

She nodded her head against his chest, stilll not having broken off Minato's comforting hug. Kushina didn't question herself why, but she just knew that she felt safe and secure in his warm embrace. It made her really, really happy. _ Thank you so much Minato ... just for being you._

* * *

**A/N: My first entirely MinaKushi-centered chapter without a hint of Sakura or anyone else lol. Is is chapter filler? 'Cause this chapter sort of does feel like filler almost besides the MK development. XD Well, filler or not, I thought this chapter turned out okay. I know some were complaining about the last chapter being too depressing so I hope this seemed a little more bearable. It DID end on a happy, nice pairing-related note didn't it? XD Is that good enough? Maybe. :P**

**And Mikoto! I love writing her so much, she's so adorable. xD I never really saw her as mean or anything, she seemed really polite. It's hard to believe she's Sasuke's mother if she didn't look so much like him. :P**

**I introduced several new characters in this and elaborated more on their personalities and habits, something I promised I would do earlier on. Eri's always pretty cool, she has the emotionless disposition of Kakashi but can still be really nice and considerate when she has to be instead of being completely uptight. :) And Takeshi ... all can say is he's a lot like Kiba. O.O And I mean, A LOT. Of course him and Kushina would always be arguing. xD And Masumi Uchiha ... he was actually some of the most fun. He's calm and reserved like most of the Uchiha Clan, I just could not write a loud Uchiha for the life of me. XD Obito's still the only exception to me. :P I'd say he's a lot like Part 1 Sasuke earlier on, except A lot more nicer, tactful, and understanding. Not ALL Uchiha's have to be inconsiderate douches, you know. :D As for Takeshi's taunt about Masumi's name and whether it's true or not, this is all I'm saying. If you're really curious about it, look it up. XD You will find your answer! ;) **

**I know Kushina was acting really bitchy in the beginning, but this is just her character at this age. She's still not having outgrown her tendency to solve problems with aggression and violence, that's what she used to fall back on a lot when she was being bullied over her hair. I don't think it's too hard to believe, this is just what she'll grow out of. We already saw this when she felt bad about it immediately even before Minato scolded her for it. We know she'll never COMPLETELY lose her violence, but she does mellow out. To some, it may seem like I making Kushina OOC in her aggressiveness and rudeness but I only do this so her character development will be more noticable towards the end. I'm sorry if her constant temper annoys some of you, she DOES have a softer side! A lot of that was shown toward the end. XD**

**Filling out some of Kushina's back story a little when she was talking to Minato was a nice touch of mine IMO. Kishi didn't really tell us much about her parents or many of the other things that happened to her other than her being the Jinchuriki of Kurama and her relationship with Minato. So I'm basing off of what we know already on my assumptions in this story. It's true that Kushina was implied to deal with loneliness and a slight case of being an outcast in the beginning. Not nearly as bad as Naruto's story, but still sort of a harsh childhood. The flashback of her meeting with Shinosuke was also trying to imply her childhood a little. Maybe later in the story, I'll touch on that again. :)**

**And the MinaKushiness! Just adorable, I love those two. 3 Minato's always so awesome with his constant devotion and loyalty towards Kushina, I couldn't resist putting that in pretty heavily. And Kushina, it was bittersweet. Her clinging on to Minato was an adorable shipping picture, but it's also sad since she's torn up over Shinosuke. :( Though it ended on a more happy, cute moment. He successfully made her feel a little better and that lead to get implying MK thoughts from her. It won't take very long for you guys to see how the react about it later. And as for Minato's surprise earlier over the Pro-MK comments considering Kushina, I'd like to say this is not a complete parallel to NS on Naruto's side. Minato's not insecure or even thinks his feelings are one-sided, he's not as dense as his son. He just struggles to read Kushina sometimes because she's emotionally unpredictable so he can't always tell what she's feeling. I guess you can say he's in between: Not too positive about reciprocation but not too negative *cough*Naruto*cough* . **

**Anyway, for those of you who were bored and care more about Sakura's problems than MinaKushi, I'm getting to that. I meant to include her talk with Danzo continued in this chapter, but the MK part got a little out of hand. No worries though, next chapter will definitely have Sakura at the front in center again, I promise! :D Hers is a bit more dire than MinaKushi development right now, sorry for this filler-y chapter. XD**

_**Japanese Name Meanings:**_

**_Eri- _**_"Blessed with reason"_

**_Takeshi- _**_"Fierce warrior"_

**_Masumi- _**_"True clarity"_

**Chapter 15th: **While Kushina begins to draw back the tattered remains of herself after so much difficulty, Sakura has other, far more serious affairs she's dealing with. Forced to work under Danzo, she hears out his dark intentions for the "sake of the village", only serving to horrify her and strengthen her will to get out his wicked plans. But will she be able to? Already she is getting deeply immersed in the heart of Root. As all of these unfolds, Tsunade discusses important matters with her fellow Sanin and former sensei, seemingly questioning and suspicious of the strange events she was beginning to notice lately. While back in the present, the 4th Great Ninja War is finally starting to break ...

_**Reviews, favorites, and follows are much appreciated! I love you all for your support! :) **_


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